


Zorro and the Time Travelers

by KathyG



Category: Zorro (TV 1990)
Genre: California, Gen, No Slash, Time Travel, Wrongful Imprisonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-06 18:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6764650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathyG/pseuds/KathyG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this eight-part story, while visiting relatives in California, two modern-day Oklahoma City children are caught in a time warp and transported to Zorro's day.  Accused by the alcalde of being spies, Todd and Allison Bennett must avoid arrest and imprisonment, and at the same time, help Zorro and Felipe save the mission Indians from being used as slave labor.  Can they return to 1998 before the alcalde and his soldiers catch them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Trip Through Time

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on "Grizzly Mountain", a 1997 Dan Haggerty movie available on home video and DVD. In this movie, two modern-day Oregon children are transported to 1870, when they help a mountain man named Jeremiah to save Grizzly Mountain from being destroyed by a greedy businessman. I not only got the idea for my story from watching that movie, I borrowed elements from it, as well. If anyone wants to watch "Grizzly Mountain", be forewarned: it's a great movie! (Below is a scene from the movie.)

"Well, children, what do you want to do today, on your first full day here in L.A.?" Ted Bennett looked at his niece and nephew, Todd and Allison Bennett, who lived in Oklahoma City, but were spending the summer with their aunt and uncle in Los Angeles. He, his wife Alice, and the children were eating breakfast in the dining room. 

The children glanced at each other as they laid down their spoons. Ten-year-old Todd brushed back his light-brown bangs and swallowed his Cheerios. For a moment, he glanced down at his light-blue T-shirt and darker blue jeans. 

"Well--"--Todd paused to scratch his nose--"I want to go to Disneyland." 

"Me, too!" Allison wriggled in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. At nine years of age, she had blue eyes and fine, straight, golden hair that hung below her shoulders. She wore a blue plaid jumper and underneath, a pink T-shirt. Dimples appeared on her cheeks as she grinned. "And I want to go to Hollywood! Meet some movie stars!" 

Todd grinned back. "And then I want to go to the beach. Go swimming!" Allison nodded assent. 

Uncle Ted chuckled as he wiped his lips with his napkin. He smiled at the children. "We will go to all those places and more, while you're here. I promise you that. We will go to Disneyland first, tomorrow. Today, I have some other place in mind." 

Todd felt a knot in his stomach. He had a feeling that this "other place" would be a place he would not like to visit at all. 

"Children, I thought we'd go and tour an old mission church that was founded back in the late 1700s, when California belonged to Spain," Uncle Ted said. "It's been rebuilt and restored by the California Historical Society, and it looks just the way it did, then." 

Todd and Allison groaned. "I don't want to see an old church!" Allison wailed. "I want to go to Hollywood." 

"I don't want to go to some _old_ place!" Todd groaned. "I want to go to Disneyland. History bores me! Please, Uncle Ted! I don't like those kinds of places!" 

"I know," Uncle Ted muttered. He did know, all too well, that Todd and Allison had no interest in history. They didn't like to read about the past; they didn't like to visit historical sites; and they _sure_ didn't want to study it in school! 

Todd could care less about visiting a stupid old church. Who cared about such places? The mere thought of visiting some moldy old Spanish mission dismayed Todd. He saw the same dismay on Allison's face. 

"Please, please, Uncle Ted," Todd begged, "can't we just skip that stuff? It may be fun for you, but it's not for me. I mean, who cares about the past? Not me. Not Allison, either!" 

Uncle Ted frowned and leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. This was a sign that he was about to give the children a lecture. Uncle Ted taught history at the University of California. He and Aunt Alice had moved to California from Oklahoma a year before. They had purchased the old Spanish-style house when they first moved to Los Angeles. 

Todd looked around the dining room to escape the determined look on his uncle's face. Except for the furnishings, it resembled an old Spanish-style dining room, according to his uncle. It stood directly across the spacious entry from the front door. It had dull-yellow walls. The doorless entrance consisted of straight sides and, at the top, a half-circle; "a Moorish arch," his aunt and uncle called it. Above the dining table, a ceiling fan whirred. 

Uncle Ted cleared his throat. Todd looked back at him. 

"Children," Uncle Ted said quietly, "I want you to listen to me carefully. We will go to all the places you requested, just as I promised, but today, we will go where _I_ choose. And I choose the mission." The children fidgeted and exchanged glum looks. "You _should_ be interested in the past," Uncle Ted went on. "A long time ago, California belonged to the Indians. Then it belonged to Spain, and then Mexico. It didn't belong to the United States until 1848, so it has a rich Indian and Hispanic heritage. We have much to learn from Hispanics--they gave California so much." 

Allison sighed. Sitting slumped, she toyed with her cereal with one hand and twisted her imitation pearl necklace with the other. 

"Do you kids know why your Aunt Alice and I bought this house?" Uncle Ted asked. Todd glanced at Allison and shrugged. "This house is as old as the mission church we're going to visit." 

Todd stared at him. "But it looks so _new_!" 

"It _is_ \--now," Uncle Ted agreed. "That's because _this_ house has been rebuilt and restored, too. It used to belong to an old man named John de la Vega, whose ancestors came from Spain to settle in Los Angeles. That's why it has so many old-style Spanish touches." 

"When did Mr. de la Vega's ancestors come?" Allison scratched her neck. 

"When Los Angeles was first founded, back in the late 1700s. It was just a small village, back then." 

Todd knitted his brows. How could such a big city as Los Angeles _ever_ have been a small village?! 

"I see from your faces that you find that hard to believe." Uncle Ted chuckled. "But it's true. This house was called a _hacienda_ , and it was part of a huge ranch. The house has been in the de la Vega family ever since--until last year. That's when Mr. de la Vega sold it to us." 

Uncle Ted paused to sip his coffee. His plastic cup clicked in the saucer. "Before he did, he had the house completely rebuilt and completely restored, so that someone would want to buy it. The California Historical Society financed its restoration, because he himself didn't have the money for such a project." He paused. "It looks just as it did when it was built the first time--except, of course, it's got electricity, plumbing, and modern furnishings, now. It's even got secret passages, Mr. de la Vega told me, though I don't know where they are." Uncle Ted winked. "Perhaps you children will discover them for Alice and me." 

As the children laughed, in spite of themselves, the phone rang. "I'll get it." Aunt Alice rose and hurried to the living room. A moment later, she called, "Ted, it's for you. It's Edna." 

Uncle Ted strode out of the dining room. He spoke so low Todd could not hear what he was saying. Neither could Allison, he saw, who sat staring at the dining table and biting her fingernails. Todd rubbed his finger against the table's smooth, cool surface. 

Five minutes later, Uncle Ted returned to the dining room. "Children, there's been an emergency." He picked up the bowl. "A friend of ours needs help, and your aunt and I are going to help him." 

"We'll have to wait till after lunch for our sightseeing expedition," Aunt Alice added. "Before we go to the mission, we'll eat lunch at a restaurant. Wash the dishes, please, and have your shoes on when we return. We'll be leaving as soon as we get back." 

"Yes, Aunt Alice." Allison stood up and grasped her bowl. 

After their aunt and uncle had left, the children washed the dishes, then put on their shoes and socks. They trotted to the family room to play. 

Todd paused to look carefully at the room, wondering if it really looked the same as it had in the late 1700s. To be sure, it had the same dull-yellow walls and a doorless, Moorish arch entrance. The window on the front wall was small and had dark-brown wooden shutters. A huge, black, floor-to-ceiling bookcase was built into the opposite wall, and spanned it. On the wall facing the entry, a fireplace with a white mantle stood. Two small, white bookcases, one on each side of the fireplace, were built into that wall. 

Still, it had modern furnishings and objects. A light-brown velvet couch stood underneath the window. A dark-green wall-to-wall carpet spanned the floor. A TV set, VCR, and WebTV-Plus stood in the corner between the black bookcase and the fireplace; a stereo system, complete with CD player, cassette recorder, and AM-FM radio, stood in the other corner. A ceiling fan whirred above; the air it stirred caressed Todd's face. His uncle's laptop computer, a desktop calendar, and a copy of the _Los Angeles Times_ lay on a cedar coffee table in front of the couch. Books, videos, audiocassettes, compact discs, floppy computer disks, and CD-ROMs lay in orderly rows on the shelves of the bookcases. 

Todd paused to read the date on the desktop calendar. "June 15, 1998," he read aloud, then shrugged. 

"Why does Uncle Ted want to see such a stupid old place?" Allison complained, as Todd, who felt restless, did three cartwheels in the spacious entry. 

Todd shrugged. "I guess it's because he's a history professor. He loves that stuff." Allison scowled as she strapped on her Mickey Mouse watch. Todd squatted on the floor before the coffee table and opened his uncle's laptop computer. "At least, we don't have to go till after lunch. And thank goodness!" 

For a while, the children played with the computer, surfing the Internet. When they grew tired of _America Online_ , Todd turned on the TV set. He played Nintendo while Allison read a book. 

"Uh, what time is it?" Todd asked, at last. 

A pause. "It's eight fifty-eight." 

"Oh! Time for _Batman_!" Todd turned off the Nintendo and turned the TV set to Channel 8. Two minutes later, the old 1960s series, _Batman,_ came on. 

"Batman!" Todd sang with the theme song. "Batman! Batman, Batman! Batman, Batman, Batman!" He rocked back and forth on his heels as he sang. 

Half an hour passed, then another ten minutes, while Todd watched Batman and Robin battle the evil Riddler. Todd had long been a fan of Batman. He owned several _Batman and Robin_ comic books, and he watched the reruns every day, back home. He also owned his own copy of the video, _Batman: The Movie_ \--a movie that was based on the series--and he longed to watch the recent movie versions on home video one day. His parents refused to get them for him, because they said the movies were not suitable for children. 

"Hey, Todd!" Allison cried. "I want to show you something!" 

Todd groaned. "Not now, Allison! I'm watching _Batman_!" 

"But, Todd, it's important! You've _got_ to see it!" 

The commercial came on. Todd scrambled to his feet and trudged toward the fireplace. "This had _better_ be important." He scowled at his little sister. 

"It is!" Allison grinned. "Look!" She pointed at the fireplace, then pressed her thumb against the mantle above. 

A secret door, hidden in the back of the fireplace, swung open. Todd gasped. "It's--it's a secret passage! Just like Uncle Ted said!" 

Todd felt excited. A secret door right in his aunt and uncle's house! Where did it lead? 

He glanced back at the TV set, torn with indecision. He wanted to explore the secret passage, but he didn't want to miss _Batman_. For a moment, he hesitated. 

"Uh, Allison--" Todd paused and scratched his head. "Uh, let's explore it after _Batman's_ over, OK?" 

Allison shrugged. "I don't care." 

The program came back on; Todd returned to the TV and sat down on the floor. Allison leaned back on the couch to watch the show with her brother. Fifteen minutes later, the show ended. Todd turned the TV set off, then raced back to the fireplace. He pressed the hidden lever, and the door swung open. The children stepped carefully through the entrance, one after the other. 

The hidden door swung shut behind them. Thick darkness blanketed the children. The air smelled dank and stale, and felt crisp. 

"Come on," Todd whispered. "Let's see where it goes." 

"It--it's dark in here!" Allison whimpered. "It smells bad. I'm scared." 

"Aw, the dark can't hurt you," Todd told her, in a tone of 10-year-old superiority. "The smell won't kill you, either. _I'm_ here; I'll take care of you. Come on!" 

Todd laid his hand on the wall to feel his way. It was made of bricks which felt smoother to his hand than did ordinary bricks, and cold. He and Allison carefully felt their way down a short hall, till they came to another entrance to their right. Their sneakers clumped on the floor. 

The children carefully felt their way down two steps, then crept toward the left through a room of some kind. They crept down some more steps, then soon found themselves in a tunnel. 

"Uh, we need a flashlight," Todd said, at last. "Let's go back and get our backpacks and flashlights. Then we'll come back here and see where it goes." 

The children groped their way through the darkness back to the secret entrance. Suddenly, Todd froze and gasped. 

"Allison! We don't know how to get out!" 

Allison screamed. "We're trapped! We're trapped! We're stuck in here; we can't get out!" 

Todd shushed her. "We'll get out, I promise. We just got to find a lever, is all. Maybe it's on the door!" 

The children pounded on the secret door, trying to find the secret latch. For several minutes, their efforts failed. Allison started to cry. 

Suddenly, the door swung open! 

"Hey! Allison, did you do that?" Todd grabbed the door before it could shut again. 

"Do _what_?" 

"What do you think, dummy? Open this door!" 

"All I did was put my hand on this thing!" 

Todd stared at the object Allison was pointing at. A metal candleholder was fastened to the wall. After Allison pressed her hand on it, Todd ran his fingers along the candleholder. It felt cold and smooth. 

Todd let go of the door, and it swung shut. Thick darkness enveloped the children again. "Hey, do that again!" he urged. 

A second later, the door swung open once more. Allison grinned. "I found the button, Todd! I found the button!" 

Todd whooped. "You sure did! Now we know how to get out! Come on, let's go get our stuff and meet back here! We'll see where that secret tunnel goes!" He paused. "Uh, don't forget your jacket, OK? You're going to need it." 

The children rushed to their guestrooms in the back of the rectangle-shaped house. Todd hurried into his bedroom, snatched his backpack off the floor, and opened it. He rummaged through the backpack's contents in search of his flashlight. 

Todd and Allison had packed their toys in their backpacks before leaving Oklahoma City. They had neglected to unpack them when they arrived in Los Angeles the evening before, so the backpacks were full of their possessions. Todd's navy-blue backpack contained his flashlight, his Walkman cassette recorder, three miniature audiocassettes, a four-blade pocketknife, a jump rope, a walkie-talkie, his _Batman: The Movie_ video, and three _Batman and Robin_ comic books. 

Todd grasped his _Batman_ video and pulled it out. For a long moment, he gazed at the picture of Batman and Robin on the front cover. With a smile, he set it on the bed. _I'll watch it tonight,_ he thought. 

He removed his flashlight and zipped his backpack shut. After putting on his jacket, Todd slipped the backpack onto his back, picked up the video again, and hurried into the hall. He found Allison waiting outside his room, wearing her jacket. 

"You have everything?" he asked his sister. "Got your flashlight?" 

Allison nodded. 

"Let me see." 

Allison set her glossy pink backpack on the floor and zipped it open. On the front, there was a picture of Barbie. Todd knelt to look inside. It contained a flashlight, three plastic barrettes, a miniature CD player, several compact discs, a doll, a jump-rope, a walkie-talkie, and a paperback book, _The Babysitters' Club #1: Kristy's Great Idea_. 

Allison removed her flashlight, zipped her backpack closed, and slipped her arms through its handles. She switched her flashlight on and off; Todd did the same with his. "Check." 

"Ready?" 

Todd nodded. "Let's go!" 

The children scuttled back to the secret passage, switching their flashlights on before Allison pressed her thumb on the secret panel. "What time is it, now?" Todd asked, as he set the video on the fireplace mantel. 

Allison glanced at her watch. "It's ten-thirty." 

The children stepped inside the secret passage and shined their flashlights ahead of them. The walls of the hall were made of brick. They saw the entrance to their right, just a little way ahead of them. They returned to the secret room they had entered earlier, and swung their flashlights in an arc. 

As the beams from the children's flashlights provided contrasts to the dark background, they looked around. The room consisted of yellowish-gray stone walls and a stone floor. Bricks like the ones lining the secret hall formed Moorish arches in each wall. Cobwebs stretched across the entrance, and from the Moorish arches to the walls. There was no furniture. Nothing but cobwebs and a few metal candleholders attached to each wall. 

Beyond the brick room was the tunnel the children had sensed more than seen. Two stone steps led down into it. The walls consisted of vertical grayish-brown stone peaks and valleys. A long metal spout extended from the wall on the left of the small tunnel, directly above what appeared to be a manger made of stone. An iron candleholder was attached to the wall. 

"This cave sure is spooky," Todd whispered. 

"Come on, Todd, let's go back," Allison urged. "I'm cold!" 

Todd frowned at her and shook his head. "No! I want to see where this tunnel goes." 

"But what if we get stuck again?" Allison's voice shook with fear. She grabbed her brother's arm. 

"We won't. I promise you." Todd shook off her hand impatiently. 

The children minced down the tunnel, cautiously and fearfully. Todd stared straight ahead, wondering where it led. Despite his efforts not to, he shivered with cold; Allison hugged her chest. At last, they saw a stone wall just ahead of them, and a long, wooden lever on the floor directly in front of their feet. 

"Maybe--" Todd stomped his foot on the lever. The stone wall swung open. Before Allison had a chance to protest, Todd grabbed her arm and raced outside, pulling his sister along. 

Trees and bushes stood directly in front of the secret entrance, blocking the children's vision, and bordered the entrance as well. The children stepped past the curtain of tree branches to get a better look at their surroundings. 

A canyon surrounded them, in front and to the right. The ground consisted mostly of bare dirt. A few boulders dotted the ground here and there; in places, white stone jutted out of the dirt. The entrance to the tunnel itself was bordered with solid, jagged rock pockmarked with hollows, and with huge, grayish-brown boulders. 

A wall of earth, taller than a man, rose upward fifty feet ahead of them. White boulders with patches of brown jutted out of the canyon wall. A wire fence bordered the top of the wall; beyond the fence, orange trees, palm trees, and houses stood, and telephone poles stood at fixed intervals, the wire looping their tops. 

To the left of the children, the ground was hilly. Houses and fenced-in yards stood in the distance. Near the horizon, a blanket of smog covered the city; the sky overhead looked strangely brassy. Up close, the trees, houses, and poles looked hazy. 

"California's neat," Todd said. "Look at those orange trees and palm trees! Aren't they cool?" 

"They sure are. Yeah, it's neat." Allison made a face. "Except for the smog. I hate it!" 

Todd screwed his nose at the sight. "Me, too." He grinned at his sister. "But the rest of it's neat. Come on, Allison! Let's explore this canyon before Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice get back." 

"Let's take off our jackets, first." Allison removed her left arm from underneath her backpack strap. "I'm hot." The children removed their jackets and dumped them on one of the boulders that bordered the secret entrance. 

Todd strode to the right of the entrance, where the edge of the canyon wall sharply turned. He and Allison walked down the canyon for some time. They saw more houses above the surface of the canyon wall. 

"Uh, what time is it?" Todd finally asked. 

Allison glanced down at her Mickey Mouse watch. "It's ten forty-five." 

Todd nodded. "It's been 15 minutes, now, since we came back to that secret passage." 

Todd suddenly froze and stared at the canyon wall to his left. A cave was in this wall! As Todd gaped at it, a grin spread across his face. _I've just got to see what's in it!_ he thought. 

"No, Todd!" Allison grabbed his arm and shook it. "If we're not back at the house when Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted return, we're going to be in big trouble! Let's go back!" 

Todd shook off her hand impatiently. "We will, soon. I want to see this cave, first. Let's see where it goes, OK? We won't go far." 

The children tiptoed through the narrow entrance and walked forward several feet. Several stalactites hung from the ceiling, and ledges spanned the walls. 

"Cool!" Todd swung his flashlight on the glowworms dotting the ceiling several feet ahead. "Check that out, Allison!" 

Allison giggled and twisted her necklace. "They look like just stars!" 

Suddenly, the cave floor shook so violently it knocked the children off their feet. A blinding flash of light flooded the cave. Todd squeezed his eyes shut to avoid the glare. 

"Todd!" Allison screamed. "Help me!" 

Todd rolled on his side, grabbed Allison, and clutched her. For a moment, the children clung to each other in terror. A moment later, the earthquake and the blinding light ceased. 

Todd let go of Allison and lay on his back, panting. He felt sick at his stomach, and the stalactites seemed to whirl above him. Spots danced before his eyes. Allison whimpered. 

"I want to go home!" she said. "I don't feel like exploring, anymore." 

Todd did not answer. For a few minutes, he lay trembling as the dizziness and nausea eased and the black spots dissipated. Finally, he grabbed the flashlights, which the earthquake had knocked out of their hands, and rose to his feet. For a moment, he leaned against the cave wall and tried to stop shaking. He didn't feel like exploring, now. All he wanted was to go back to the house. 

"Please, Todd!" 

Todd sighed and helped Allison to her feet. "Ohh, OK. I don't feel like exploring, either. Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted will be home any minute. We'll go back through the secret passage." He handed Allison her flashlight. 

The children left the cave and returned to the secret entrance. Suddenly, Todd froze and moaned. "Our jackets are gone!" He pointed at the now-empty boulders bordering the secret entrance. 

Allison scrooged her eyes shut. "Mom and Dad are going to kill us when they find out!" She took a deep breath. "You suppose someone stole them?" 

Todd looked around. "I don't know," he said grimly. "We've got to find them." As he turned back toward the cave wall, he froze again. 

"Allison! We don't know how to get back in!" he moaned. "We have to find the lever, first." 

The children rubbed and pounded every inch of the stone wall they could reach, but found no lever. Their efforts to pry open the secret door failed. Todd felt frustrated. If they couldn't open the secret entrance, how would they get back inside? 

Todd sighed. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and brushed his bangs back. "Come on. We'll have to go the long way around." He shook his head. "If they're back, they're going to be real mad at us." 

"I told you--" 

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Allison. I didn't mean to get you in this trouble." 

"You think the church tour will be short?" 

"I _hope_ so!" 

The children put their flashlights back in their backpacks, then slowly trudged down the canyon, till they reached the turnoff. Suddenly, Allison froze and pointed upward. "Where are the fences?" 

Todd stopped and stared. The fences had disappeared! So had the houses and the telephone poles. 

"The smog is gone, too!" Todd stared at the still-brassy sky. 

"What--what's happened to everything?" Allison's hands trembled. 

Todd gulped. "Maybe the earth opened up and swallowed them! Maybe the earthquake did it! Come on, let's climb out of the canyon and look for Uncle Ted's house! If it's gone, too--" 

He raced toward the canyon wall, with Allison in hot pursuit. They found a gently sloping ledge that rose from the floor of the canyon to the top, and climbed it. As the children reached the top of the canyon, they stopped to look around. 

Los Angeles had disappeared! 

Instead of the miles and miles of houses and businesses that had surrounded the area when they arrived, and the thick blanket of smog, all they could see was an empty desert. Grass covered the ground where they stood. As far as they could see, trees and boulders stood here and there; mounds of stone stuck out of the dirt in various spots. 

With the smog gone, everything stood out in plain sight. Everywhere Todd looked, there were no buildings or people for miles around. 

Todd and Allison stood stock-still, gaping at the bare, empty desert where a smog-filled city had stood only fifteen minutes before. They stared at each other, open-mouthed. 

"An earthquake can't make a whole _city_ disappear!" Allison's voice shook. "Can it?" 

Todd swallowed a lump in his throat. "I guess it could, if it was big enough. But the one we were in wasn't _that_ big! Not big enough to swallow a whole city. And it _sure_ can't swallow _smog_!" 

"What'll we do?" 

Todd paused to think. "I guess we'll just look for the house." He pointed east. "It's that way, I think. Come on." 

The children walked away from the canyon in what they hoped was the direction of their aunt and uncle's house. For fifteen minutes, they said nothing. Allison chewed her fingernails to the quick as they tramped. 

"Uh, what time is it, now?" Todd finally asked. 

Allison glanced at her watch. "Still ten forty-five." 

"Let me see that!" Todd grabbed her arm and stared at the watch. "Your watch has stopped!" He sounded disgusted. "We don't have any way of knowing what time it is!" He sighed and shook his head. "Let's rest a minute. I'm tired." He slumped onto a boulder. 

As the children rested on the boulder, Todd wiped the sweat off his face. Allison sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. A few minutes later, Todd saw a cloud of dust rise from the distant horizon ahead. A few minutes after that, horses appeared on the horizon. 

"Look!" Allison cried. "There's some men coming! Maybe they'll help us!" 

"Yeah!" Todd grinned in anticipation. 

As the horses and their riders came closer, Todd saw that all but one of the riders were wearing some weird uniforms. All were dressed in blue, and were wearing tall black hats. Strips of cloth hung down their shoulders; swords dangled from their sides; and pistols stuck through their sashes. Todd guessed that the men were soldiers. The horses' hooves raised a cloud of dust as they clop-clopped. 

_Why are they dressed so funny?_ Todd wondered. _I've never seen a soldier dressed like that, before._

The one man who didn't have on a soldier's uniform was wearing a gray coat that hung down past his knees, a shiny green vest, and underneath the vest and coat, a white ruffled shirt and a black shiny bowtie. A sword like those the soldiers had dangled on his side. He sat tall and straight in the saddle. 

The soldiers rode directly toward the children and pulled up alongside them. The man in the long gray coat glared at Todd and Allison for a long moment, then frowned at the chubby soldier who sat on a horse next to his. The man pulled his sword out of its scabbard and pointed it at the children. "Identify yourselves!" he ordered.


	2. A Visit to the Church

Todd and Allison froze and stared at the unpleasant man's sword pointed at them. Neither spoke a word. 

"Who are you?" The man gestured with his sword. "Tell me!" 

"Todd Bennett," Todd said in a low voice. The steely expression in the man's eyes made Todd feel queasy, so he glanced down at his sneakers. 

"Speak up! I can't hear you." 

"Todd Bennett," Todd said in a louder voice, looking up at the man. "This is my sister, Allison." 

"So--you're _americanos_." The man frowned. "Where are you from?" 

"Oklahoma City." 

The man glanced at the plump soldier beside him, then knitted his brows as he stared at Todd. "Excuse me?" With his left hand, he removed a handkerchief from an inside coat pocket and wiped the sweat off his face. 

"Oklahoma City." Todd paused. "You know--in Oklahoma." The man just stared at him, with an uncomprehending expression on his face. 

Allison stared back at the man, evidently bewildered by his ignorance. "Aren't there others here from Oklahoma City?" She twisted her necklace as she spoke. 

"I've never heard of the place." The man sheathed his sword. "What are you _niños_ doing here?" He stared at their clothes. "And where on earth did you get those strange-looking clothes?" 

Todd and Allison stared at each other, bewildered. _Strange-looking?_ Todd thought. _They're the ones who look strange, not us!_ Out loud, he answered, "We're just visiting. Our mom buys our clothes." Todd reached down to scratch his legs, then stared at the man. "Who are _you_? What happened to all the houses? And the fences?" 

"And the smog?" Allison added. 

The man pursed his lips together and sat up straighter. " _Muchacho,_ there are no houses or fences here, as you can see! There never have been. I've never heard of smog; I don't know what it is. I am Luis Ramon, the _alcalde_ of Los Angeles, and these are a few of my lancers." 

"What's an--an _alcalde_?" Allison tilted her head. 

"Are you like a mayor or something?" Todd asked. 

"Yes. And as _alcalde_ , I hereby arrest you children for spying!" 

_"What?!"_ Todd gaped at the _alcalde_. 

"You children are spies--sent here to spy on us!" 

Todd and Allison gaped at each other in fear and amazement. "No, we're not!" Todd protested. "We're _not_ spies!" 

"Yes, you are! And I'm placing you under arrest." The _alcalde_ turned to the plump soldier. "Sergeant Mendoza, tie these children to the back of my horse." 

Allison screamed and grabbed Todd, who clutched her. Allison puckered her lips; tears welled up in her eyes. Todd's heart pounded, and his hands felt sweaty. 

"But, _alcalde_ \--" The sergeant gestured toward the children. "They're just children!" 

"Tie them to my horse! That's an order!" 

"I think you won't, _alcalde_!" A man wearing a black tunic, a silk black cape, a black sash, black mask, and a black hat appeared behind the soldiers on a coal-black stallion. He had a coal-black, pencil-thin mustache. He unsheathed his sword and held its tip on the _alcalde's_ chest. "These children are free to go." 

"And if I refuse?" The _alcalde_ spat at the masked man. 

"Then you will be tied to your own horse--on _my_ orders!" 

The _alcalde_ pursed his lips together and ordered his soldiers to retreat. He and the lancers rode off in a cloud of dust. The masked man sheathed his sword and turned to the children. 

"I am El Zorro." The man removed his hat and bowed. "And who might you be?" He smiled kindly. 

"My--my name's Todd Bennett, and this is my sister Allison." 

Zorro gazed at them for a moment. "You must be _americanos_." 

"Why do you say that-- _americanos_?" Allison hung her head to one side. "That's what the _alcalde_ called us." 

Zorro chuckled. "Señorita Bennett, that's the Spanish word for Americans, as you people are called in your language." He frowned. "How did you get here? And where'd you get those clothes? They're most unusual." 

Todd and Allison stared at each other again. "No, they're not! Our mom buys our clothes." Allison glanced down at her blue plaid jumper as she spoke. 

"We came through a cave," Todd added. "There were houses and fences and stuff when we went in, and they were all gone when we came out. We're staying with our aunt and uncle this summer. We've got to get back to them, or they'll be worried!" Todd shivered. 

Zorro's frown deepened. "Where was this cave?" 

Todd turned around and pointed in the direction of the canyon, now lost to view. "In a canyon." 

Zorro nodded, then smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, _amigos_. I'll do all I can to help you get back to your aunt and uncle; you can depend on me. In the meantime, I need to find you children a safe place to stay. I overheard the _alcalde_ accuse you of spying, and I don't intend to let him arrest you if I can help it." 

"Can I ask you something?" Todd asked. Zorro nodded. 

"Is that your real name--El Zorro?" Todd gaped at him. "Why are you dressed like that?" He pointed at Zorro's costume. 

Zorro chuckled again. "I wear a mask, _amigo,_ because the _alcalde_ and his soldiers don't like me. As for my name, 'El Zorro' means 'The Fox.' To avoid capture, I have to be as clever as one." 

"Ohh!" Todd gazed at him admiringly. "You must be like Batman, then! Are you?" 

"Batman?" Zorro stared at the boy, puzzled. "Who's Batman?" 

Todd didn't know what to say. As he tried to think of an answer, Allison came to his rescue. "He's a crimefighter on TV. He wears a costume, too--a bat costume. Todd likes Batman. He watches him every day." 

Zorro knitted his brows in bewilderment, and scratched his head. "Well, I've never heard of him. I _have_ heard of the _alcalde_ , though, and the _alcalde_ is an evil man. Even as we speak, he's probably plotting to capture all three of us, so I'd better take you children away from here." 

He thought a moment. "Let's see. I could take you to the de la Vega _hacienda_. I know the de la Vegas. They will be glad to shelter you until we can find your aunt and uncle." He patted the side of his saddle. "Climb up on Toronado's back, and I'll take you there." 

Todd and Allison stared at each other. The de la Vega _hacienda_! Maybe the man Uncle Ted had bought the house from was visiting the Bennetts, and Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice were waiting for the children there! _When we get there, I'll ask Uncle Ted what happened to the buildings and stuff,_ Todd thought. 

Zorro helped Todd up onto the saddle behind him, then reached down and lifted Allison up onto the saddle in front of him. Minutes later, Todd, peeking from behind Zorro's back, saw the _hacienda_ well up ahead. 

Sure enough, it was the very same house! It had the same whitewashed walls, the same flat red tile roof, and the same small windows with the wooden shutters. 

A whitewashed stone fence, taller than Allison, surrounded the front of the house. It had not been there when Todd and Allison had left! _How did it get built so fast?_ Todd wondered. A white picket gate divided the fence in the middle; through the gate, Todd saw the same polished, dark-brown mahogany door he remembered. 

Would things be as different inside as they were in the surrounding countryside? 

_Uncle Ted said it was built in the late 1700s,_ Todd thought. _He said California was a Spanish colony, back then._ He shook his head. _Everything's so weird here!_

Zorro stopped in front of the fence and helped the children climb down to the ground. At that moment, an elderly, silver-haired gentleman opened the door and stepped out on the porch. He stood erect, and he wore a snow-white linen shirt with ruffled sleeves and a row of ruffle down the front. A shiny, dark-blue silk vest, a snow-white necktie, a long, grayish-blue coat that hung past his hips, a matching pair of pants, and a pair of dark-brown leather boots completed his outfit. He smiled as Zorro approached. 

"Zorro!" He waved as he strode toward the fence; as he spotted the children, he glanced questioningly at Zorro. "Who are these children?" He glanced at their clothes, evidently puzzled. 

_Why does everyone stare at our clothes?_ Todd wondered. 

"Two young _americanos_ the _alcalde_ wanted to arrest," Zorro explained. "I'll let the children explain the particulars. _Adios!_ " He waved and rode off. 

The man smiled at the children. "I'm Don Alejandro de la Vega," he said. "Who are you?" 

"Todd Bennett," Todd said. "My sister Allison." He stared at the house. "Is this _your_ house, mister?" 

Don Alejandro glanced at the house and chuckled. "Indeed, it is. My father built it when he and _his_ father emigrated to this land from Spain and applied for a land grant, several decades ago." 

Todd and Allison stared at each other in shock. That meant only one thing. The children had gone back in time! 

Todd gazed at the yard. As it did in 1998, it consisted of bare dirt. A round table, surrounded by chairs and a high-backed bench, stood next to the porch. Ivy trailed the front wall; small trees stood against it; and beds of flowers stood against the wall bordering the porch. 

Don Alejandro stepped forward. "Come inside with me, and tell my son and me what this is all about. From what Zorro just told me, you _niños_ need help." 

"What's a _niño_?" Allison tilted her head and gazed at him. 

"A child." 

He led the children into the house. The children stopped in the spacious entry and looked around. The house furnishings were _very_ different from the ones they had left! There was no TV set, no overhead fan, no computer, and no air conditioning. It all looked so-- _so_ old-timy! 

A black-haired man in his late twenties and a teenage boy just a few years older than Todd came from the room to the left and gazed at the children. "Who are these children, Father?" the man asked. Like Zorro's, his moustache was black and pencil-thin. He held a dull-brown leather-bound book in his hand. 

Like his father, the younger man stood erect. Like his father, he wore a snow-white linen shirt with ruffled sleeves, a single row of ruffles down the front, and a collar. Over the shirt, he wore a bright blue velvet vest and a black silk necktie. Both men wore dark-brown quality leather boots. 

The boy wore a coarse, white, homespun cotton shirt, a pair of matching cotton trousers, a brown wool sash, and a pair of woven leather sandals. The shirt had no collar, no tie, and no ruffles. 

Don Alejandro rested his hand on Todd's shoulder. "This is Todd and Allison Bennett. They're _americanos_ , Diego. Zorro has just saved them from the _alcalde_. Children, this is my son, Diego, and our servant boy, Felipe." 

"Zorro rescued them, hmm?" Diego set his book on the coffee table. Felipe gestured toward the children, then toward the dining room. "Yes, get them something to eat," Diego said. The boy left. "Felipe can't speak or hear," Diego told the children. "He _can_ read lips, though, and he communicates through sign language." 

Allison grimaced. "Poor Felipe! That must be awful, not to be able to speak or hear." 

Don Alejandro chuckled. "I wouldn't feel sorry for Felipe if I were you. He may not be able to speak or hear, but he communicates with us quite effectively, and he understands us readily." He smiled. "I might add that Felipe's a good boy and a faithful servant. Now, why don't you tell us what happened?" 

Todd and Allison told them about their aunt and uncle, the canyon they had explored, the cave they had entered, and the earthquake and the blinding flash of light. They described what they had seen and experienced after they had left the cave, right up to the moment Zorro had brought them to the de la Vega _hacienda_. They did not explain, however, that the house their aunt and uncle owned was the de la Vega home, or that they had come from 1998. Todd was afraid the de la Vegas would accuse them of lying or imagining things; evidently, so did Allison. 

As soon as the children had finished their story, Felipe returned with two plates of _tamales_ and set them on the dining table. A maid followed with glasses of lemonade. 

"Ah!" Don Diego gestured toward the table. "Sit down and eat, then we'll take you on a tour of the house. After our _siesta_ , I think we'll take you to town and introduce you to Padre Benitez--he runs the local mission. He's a kind, godly man, and he might be able to help you find your aunt and uncle." 

"I want to go home, _now_!" Allison said. "I want my mom and dad." 

"We're just visiting our aunt and uncle," Todd explained. "We live in Oklahoma City." The de la Vegas looked puzzled. "Oklahoma City," Todd repeated. "In Oklahoma." The de la Vegas stared at each other, evidently even more puzzled. 

"Our mom had to go to the hospital last week," Allison explained. "She's going to be there all summer. Daddy said he couldn't stay with Mom and take care of us, too, so he sent us to California." Don Diego scratched his head as he gaped at his father. 

"We're going to stay with our aunt and uncle until Mom gets better," Todd added. 

"Oh." Don Diego nodded, then drew Allison toward him. "Don't worry, _amiga_. I know it's scary to be separated from your loved ones like this, but we will help you find them." He ruffled Allison's hair. "In the meantime, my father and I will take care of you and Todd as if you were our own. You'll see." Allison smiled wanly. Don Diego smiled back and hugged her. 

Todd scratched his neck. "Uh, do you have a calendar?" 

Don Alejandro showed him a wall calendar hanging in the dining room. Todd could not read the Spanish words, but the year listed was 1820. 

"What does that say?" Todd pointed at the name of the month. "I can't read Spanish." 

Don Diego leaned over the boy's shoulder to read the calendar. _"Junio,"_ he read aloud. "In English, it means 'June.'" 

June fifteenth, 1820, Todd translated. He subtracted the years in his head. _We've gone back 178 years! One hundred and seventy-eight years exactly; it's June 15th in our time, too!_ He stared at Allison, who looked stunned. 

The children set their backpacks on the floor next to the dining table. They ate the _tamales_ and drank several glasses of lemonade. As they did, Todd gazed at the dining room. It had the same dull-yellow walls and the same Moorish arch for an entrance, but the ceiling fan was gone. So was the air conditioning, Todd noticed. 

A shiny, snow-white tablecloth covered the dining table, and a gleaming silver candelabrum, studded with tall white candles, stood at each end. A white china flower vase, filled with flowers, stood in the middle. A dark-brown mahogany case stood against the wall facing the front entrance; gleaming china dishes sat on display in rows. On the wall above, three oil paintings bordered the case. On the floor below the table, an Oriental carpet spanned the gleaming, snow-white marble floor. 

After the children had eaten, the de la Vegas and Felipe took them on a tour of the house. They showed the children the kitchen, the _patio_ , the suites of rooms that Don Alejandro and Don Diego slept in and used, Felipe's bedroom, the guest bedrooms, and the other rooms. 

"Most of the other servants sleep in huts out back," Don Alejandro explained. "Felipe's on 24-hour duty, so he sleeps in the house with the butler and the housekeeper." 

The de la Vegas and Felipe took the children back to the front of the house and showed them the living room, which they called the drawing room, and the family room, which they called the library. Leather-bound volumes lined the bookshelves; a small white table, on which an ivory chess set sat on display, stood in front of the black bookcase. Another Oriental carpet covered the marble floor. 

"You sure like to read, don't you?" Todd grinned at Don Diego. Don Diego chuckled and agreed. 

"My father loves to read, too, but not as much as I do," Don Diego said. "He is a true man of action; I'm a man of letters." He glanced down at the chessboard. "And we both love to play chess. So does Felipe." 

When the tour was over, it was time for lunch. The children ate with the de la Vegas. "This house is-- _different_ ," Todd whispered to Allison. His sister nodded in agreement, as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

That afternoon, after _siesta_ , the de la Vegas took the children to the mission church in town. Felipe drove the carriage. The children leaned back against the soft velvet cushion lining the back seat. The carriage jolted as they rode to town. Todd wiped the sweat off his face several times, and listened to the horses' _clip! Clop!_

As the village came into view, Todd stared at it. A gate stood some distance away from the back of a whitewashed building Don Diego called the mission church. The gate consisted of two huge, rectangular stone columns. A long, round wooden pole stretched between them. A wooden sign hung from the pole. Overhead, the blue cloudless sky stretched from horizon to horizon. 

"'Los Angeles,'" Allison read out loud, fixing her gaze on the sign. 

As the group passed through the gate and the _plaza_ came into view, Todd stared around. In spite of what Uncle Ted had told him, he couldn't believe his eyes. _This_ little village was Los Angeles?! 

The town consisted of a circle of whitewashed buildings surrounding the _plaza_. The _plaza_ itself consisted of bare dirt, in the middle of which something stood that resembled a huge, white stone bowl or lemon juicer. Water poured out of a spout. "That's the _plaza_ fountain," Don Alejandro told him. 

Peasants who wore shirts like Felipe's, and gentlemen who were dressed like the de la Vegas, milled around in the _plaza_. Stands crowded the _plaza's_ edges. Some of the peasants stood behind the stands, selling their wares. Children played in the _plaza_. 

As the carriage stopped in front of the church, a beautiful young woman, who was serving lemonade on the terrace of a nearby two-story building, glanced at the de la Vegas and came toward the carriage. She wore a bright-red woolen skirt and a white cotton blouse with ruffles on the shoulders. Her thick, coal-black hair hung in soft curls down to her shoulders. 

"Don Diego!" she said. "Don Alejandro!" 

_"Señorita!"_ Don Diego waved. "Busy day, eh?" 

" _Very_ busy!" The young woman took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her face. "People have been flooding the tavern all day, and the rooms are packed." She glanced at Todd and Allison, and stared at their clothes with a questioning look. "Who are these children?" 

"Two young lost _americanos_ Zorro rescued from the _alcalde_ this morning," Don Alejandro explained. "We've brought them to town to see the _padre_ ; perhaps he can help them find their family." He turned to the children. "Children, this is La Señorita Victoria Escalante; she owns the tavern." He pointed at the two-story building. "Victoria, this is Todd and Allison Bennett." 

Victoria smiled at the children. "Hello," she said, kindly. 

Allison smiled shyly and twisted her necklace. Todd grinned. "Hi, Miss Escalante." He glanced at his lap, feeling suddenly shy, himself. 

"Did you say they're lost?" Victoria glanced at Don Alejandro with sudden concern. 

Don Alejandro nodded. " _Si,_ but I hope not for long. We're going to enlist the good _padre's_ assistance in locating their aunt and uncle. If you wish to come inside with us, we'll tell you all about it." 

Victoria nodded. The de la Vegas stepped out of the carriage, then lifted the children out. After Felipe fastened the horses' reins to the hitching post, the group entered the sanctuary and approached the altar. 

The wall that faced the front door was covered with bright-red silk cloth. The altar consisted of a long table, covered with a glistening white cloth, which stood against the wall. A gold statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, hung on the wall above the table. Two rows of long benches faced the altar. 

"Sir, is this a Catholic church?" Todd stared at the statue. 

Don Diego nodded. "Yes, it is. Are you not a Catholic?" 

Todd shook his head. "We're Baptists." 

"Oh." Don Diego nodded. "Protestants." 

"I was baptized when I was five," Allison announced. "When I accepted Jesus in my heart." 

" _I_ was baptized, last year," Todd added. He glanced at Allison. "Allison's never naughty. Mom and Daddy say she's a good girl. Like Jesus wants us to be." 

The de la Vegas and Victoria smiled at Allison approvingly. Before anyone could respond, however, a man wearing a soft, brown woolen habit entered the room and greeted the de la Vegas, Felipe, and Victoria. He had the kindest eyes Todd had ever seen. 

"Who are these children, may I ask?" The priest smiled at Todd and Allison, after staring at their clothes with a puzzled expression. 

Don Diego smiled, in his turn. " _Padre,_ may I present Todd and Allison Bennett? They are _americanos_ whom Zorro rescued from the _alcalde_ this morning and brought to our _hacienda_. Children, this is Padre Benitez. He runs our mission." 

"He took charge of the mission last year," Don Alejandro added. "To replace our former priest, who died some time before that." 

The priest nodded agreement. "How old are you?" he asked the children. 

"I'm ten years old," Todd said. 

"I'm nine years old." Allison held up nine fingers. 

"The _alcalde_ said we were spies," Todd said. "But we're not!" 

"We want to find our aunt and uncle," Allison added. "They'll be worried." 

"They sure will!" Todd said. "It's been several hours, now. Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice'll be _real_ worried." 

Padre Benitez held up his hand. "Hold on, now; slow down! Suppose you start at the beginning. Children, how did you find yourselves in this trouble you're in?" 

For the next several minutes, the children told the priest their story; the de la Vegas broke in at intervals to add to it. Padre Benitez listened attentively until the children were finished. He then sat silently for a few minutes. 

"Well, children," he said, at last, "from what you've told me, you're going to need help finding your aunt and uncle. I'll put the word out and see if we can locate them. In the meantime, you stay with the de la Vegas. It would not be a good idea for you children to stay here a minute longer; the _alcalde_ might see you. If he finds out you're here, he'll not hesitate to arrest you." 

"We were just getting ready to take them back," Don Alejandro assured him. Suddenly, Todd heard screams, cries, and shouts outside. 

"Stay here!" Don Alejandro commanded the children. He, the other adults, and Felipe raced toward the front door and darted outside. 

The children followed at a distance and stopped inside the door. Todd held the door ajar and poked his nose through the crack, to see what was happening. Allison poked her head under his arm. 

To Todd's horror, a group of soldiers were gathered outside the church, rounding up struggling Indians. Señorita Escalante and the de la Vegas glared at the soldiers fiercely. 

"Sergeant, you can't do this!" Padre Benitez protested. 

"Sergeant Mendoza! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Victoria said sternly. 

"Señorita Escalante, I am only following orders!" the sergeant protested. "The _alcalde_ has ordered us to bring them in. He says he needs their services." 

"What kind of services?!" 

As Victoria spoke, the _alcalde_ strode toward the group, grasping the hilt of his sword dangling in its scabbard. He glared at the de la Vegas, Felipe, and Victoria. "Is there a problem here, sergeant?" 

" _Alcalde,_ what's the meaning of this?" Don Alejandro demanded. 

The _alcalde_ grinned. "Well, Don Alejandro, it just so happens I am in need of some labor outside of town, so I am recruiting the mission Indians." He turned to the soldiers. "Hurry up! I haven't got all day." 

Suddenly, the _alcalde_ spotted the children standing inside the doorway. An evil smile spread across his face. "Well, well, well. So here are the children who escaped justice this morning." 

Todd and Allison froze. Todd squeezed his eyes shut. His heart pounded. 

"Sergeant, arrest them!" the _alcalde_ ordered. 

"You have no right to do this!" Don Alejandro shouted. "They are only children!" 

"I am the _alcalde_!" The _alcalde_ glared at Don Alejandro. "It is my duty to arrest spies, no matter _how_ young or _how_ old they are!" He turned to Sergeant Mendoza. "You heard me, sergeant!" 

Sergeant Mendoza sighed and nodded sorrowfully. _"Si, mi alcalde."_ He approached the children. "I'm sorry, children. Orders are orders." Tears welled up in Allison's eyes. A knot formed in Todd's stomach, and nausea rose in his throat. 

"Don't worry, children," Victoria told the frightened children. "We will do everything in our power to help you. You have our promise!" 

As the sergeant led the children to the jail, which stood across the _plaza_ from the tavern, Don Alejandro followed and protested their arrest. Don Diego watched them with a grim expression on his face. After a moment, he gestured to Felipe, and the two returned to the carriage. 

"We must help those children," Don Diego muttered. "When we get back to the _hacienda_ , Felipe, I want you to saddle Toronado." 

Felipe made the sign of the Z with his index finger and looked at Don Diego with a questioning, hopeful expression. 

"Yes." Don Diego nodded determinedly. "Zorro rides, tonight!"


	3. A Mission's Routine

A black-cloaked figure rode a coal-black stallion toward the _pueblo_. Zorro was on his way to rescue Todd and Allison. 

The moon had risen an hour before. Stars studded the sky like glittering diamonds. A cool breeze whispered as it caressed Zorro's face. Zorro paid no attention to the moon, the stars, or the breeze, though. He was too intent on his mission. 

As Zorro approached the _pueblo_ , he slowed Toronado to a walk. He did not want to have to fight the soldiers, if he could help it. He decided to circle the town until he reached the back of the _cuartel_. 

When he reached the back of the building, he dismounted and patted Toronado's shoulder. He tiptoed around the _cuartel_ toward the front, until he reached the corner. 

He poked his head around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. To his dismay, three soldiers milled around in front of the _alcalde's_ office. Somehow, he was going to have to distract them so he could enter the jail. 

He softly returned to the back of the building, where Toronado was waiting for him. "All right, boy," Zorro murmured. "We're going to have to divert those soldiers, and you're going to have to help me. Go!" He slapped Toronado's back, and the stallion galloped toward the front. 

Zorro hoped that Toronado would succeed. He had no intention of letting the _americano_ children spend a single night in the _alcalde's_ jail. A second later, he heard the soldiers shout. "It's Zorro's horse! After him!" 

Zorro hid behind some wooden crates as Toronado galloped past, with the soldiers in hot pursuit. Zorro then climbed to the red tile roof, and opened the skylight. Carefully, he lowered himself into the building. 

To his left, the children were locked in the same cell. Todd sat at the foot of the cot, slumped against the wall, and staring morosely at the floor; his sister lay sleeping on the cot. Todd stared at Zorro and leaped to his feet. 

"Allison!" Todd shook his sleeping sister. "Wake up! Zorro's here!" 

Allison sat up and rubbed her eyes; Zorro put a finger to his lips. "Shh! Don't make a sound, either of you. I've got to get you children out of here." He picked the key ring up off its nail and unlocked the cell door. 

"Come!" he whispered. "Follow me, and make no sound." 

The children followed as Zorro led the way into the _alcalde's_ office. As they stepped outside, an approaching soldier spotted them and shouted, "Zorro is here! He's freeing the children!" 

"Run!" Zorro ordered the children. "Run and save yourselves!" 

Todd and Allison were only too glad to obey. As they raced toward the mission, Allison overheard the _alcalde's_ angry voice shouting, "Shoot him! Shoot Zorro and get those children!" 

Allison shoved the front door open and darted into the mission's sanctuary; Todd paused to close the door behind them. "Come on!" Todd hissed. "We've gotta find a place to hide! The soldiers are going to look for us." 

Allison felt scared. Suppose a soldier _did_ find them? 

The children hurried through the sanctuary toward the altars, and entered a hallway in the left wall. As they crept down the hall, Allison prayed silently for help. "Please, God!" she whispered. "Help us!" 

A door opened ahead of the children, and the _padre_ stepped into the hall. "Children!" he exclaimed. "You got away! Did Zorro rescue you?" 

The children nodded. "Is there a place we can hide?" Allison asked. 

The priest nodded. " _Si._ It's a dirty, smelly place, but no soldier will look through it for that reason. Come with me, and I'll take you there before the soldiers arrive." 

Padre Benitez took the children outside and through another door into another part of the building. He took them into a back room and down into a cellar. Crates and tools littered the floor; a table stood in one corner, covered by a red cloth. In two corners stood huge piles of stinking garbage. The children made faces and held their noses. 

"Do we _have_ to go in there?" Todd pointed at one of the piles. 

Padre Benitez nodded. "I'm afraid so. Breathe through your mouths, and you won't smell it." He ruffled Allison's blonde hair and squeezed her shoulder, then patted Todd's back. "It's either that, or return to your cells in the _alcalde's_ jail. The smell won't kill you, I promise, but the _alcalde_ just might. Come, now, crawl inside, and I'll cover you up so no one will see that anyone's hiding in that pile." 

Wrinkling her nose, Allison crawled into the pile of garbage. "Phew!" she muttered. "I hate this stuff! It stinks! It smells _awful_!" 

"It sure does!" Todd muttered back, as he followed. 

The children lay side by side, facing each other and holding their noses, and the priest plugged the hole they had made crawling into the pile. "Remember," the _padre's_ muffled voice warned, "lie quietly and don't make a sound. Don't even whisper to each other; go to sleep. I'll let you know when it's safe to come out." 

The children lay rigid and did not speak. Allison breathed through her mouth, to escape inhaling the fetid smell. Soon, she started yawning and relaxing; she felt sleepy. 

Suddenly, she felt Todd shaking her, whispering, "Allison! Wake up!" 

"Children, are you awake?" It was the priest's muffled voice. 

"Yeah, we're awake," Todd said. 

"Good. Children, it's early morning, now; the sun has just risen, and my people are attending Mass. The soldiers are here and they're searching for you. I've just arranged things to hide you even better. Don't move or make a sound; the soldiers will be in here to look before they leave. When they're gone, I'll come and tell you." 

The priest left. The children lay still and dared not whisper. In fact, Allison hardly dared to breathe, she felt so scared. A hard knot formed in her stomach. 

Minute after agonizing minute passed, as the children lay hidden in the pile of garbage. Allison prayed fervently that the soldiers would not find her or Todd. 

Suddenly, the door banged open. Boots clumped on the floor. _They're here!_ Allison thought. _I'm scared!_ She squeezed her eyes shut. _I want to go home! I want my mom and dad!_ As she lay immobile beside Todd, she held her breath. 

"Phew!" she heard a soldier complain. "This garbage smells terrible! Let's make a quick search, then get out of here!" 

" _Si, si!_ We will," another soldier agreed. 

A few minutes passed, as the soldiers picked up and slammed down objects. Allison lay stiff and prayed silently. She swallowed a sob; Todd grasped her hand and squeezed it. 

"Well?" she heard a soldier say, at last. "Shall we search the piles of garbage?" 

Allison froze and held her breath. Her heart pounded rapidly. She swallowed another sob, fearing to cry lest the soldiers overhear her. Todd's grip on her hand tightened. 

"No," the other soldier said. "It smells too bad; I could not stand it. If _we_ can't stand it, neither can two children. Let's report to Sergeant Mendoza." 

The door slammed shut; the clumping boots faded into the distance. Todd's grip relaxed, but the children dared not move. The danger was not over, yet. 

"I'm scared!" Allison whispered. "I'm hungry. I want to go home. What if the soldiers come back?" 

"Shh!" Todd warned. "We'll _never_ go home if the soldiers hear us. There might be one on the other side of the door. Just lie still and don't talk." 

Minutes passed, as the children lay quietly. To get her mind off her predicament, Allison began to daydream. She thought about the good times she and Todd had had with their parents during past summer vacations. 

Suddenly, the door slammed open again. Allison froze with terror and stifled a scream. Were the soldiers going to make one more try? 

"It's all right, children," the priest said. "It's only me. You can come out, now. The soldiers have left. It's too late to have you attend Mass, so I'm going to give you baths now, and have your clothes washed. And while they're being washed, I'll give you breakfast." 

The children crawled out of the garbage pile. "Yuck! I smell awful!" Allison stared at her wrinkled, spattered clothes. Todd made a face. 

Padre Benitez chuckled. "Well, then, you'd better take those baths now, haven't you? Come along, now. This afternoon, when your clothes are clean and dry, I'll take you on a tour of the mission." 

The children bathed, and the priest loaned them dark-brown woolen bathrobes to wear until their clothes dried. They ate breakfast in the _padre's_ private quarters, then he assigned them bedrooms to stay in until they could get dressed. 

Allison glanced around as she entered her bedroom. The walls were painted light beige. A single-size bed stood against the left wall; its dark-brown headboard leaned against the wall that faced the dull-red door. Two plump pillows, soft white cotton sheets, and a red woolen blanket invited occupancy. 

A light-brown wooden chair stood next to the bed, facing the door; a metal candleholder was fastened to the wall on the door's left. A shuttered window faced the left wall, and a wooden table and chair stood underneath. A wooden chest stood at the foot of the bed. 

"We've _got_ to go home before the _alcalde_ finds us!" she told herself, out loud. "I _hate_ that awful jail!" She glanced at her watch. It still read ten forty-five. _I need to reset my watch,_ she thought. _What time is it?_

Allison stayed in the bedroom all morning. Victoria Escalante stopped by to visit, and spent the morning with her. She chatted with Allison and patiently answered her questions about Los Angeles, the de la Vegas, and Victoria's own life and family. She learned that Victoria's own parents had died in a recent revolution, and that her brothers lived in Mexico. 

"Where do Felipe's mom and dad live?" Allison asked, at one point. "Does he spend weekends with them?" She ran her fingers through her damp hair. 

Victoria sighed. "No, Allison. They live in Heaven with their ancestors. They were killed in Mexico during the same revolution that took the lives of my parents, when Felipe was younger than you. Don Diego found him and brought him here, and the de la Vegas took him in. This was after my parents died, and before Don Diego went to the university in Spain--I was just a teenager, then." 

Allison winced at the thought. "Wasn't he frightened?" 

Victoria nodded emphatically. " _Very_ frightened! According to Don Diego, Felipe was _terrified_! And quite grief-stricken, as well. If Don Diego and his tutor had not found him, Felipe would not have long survived. As it is, it's a miracle he wasn't killed with his parents." Victoria shook her head. "Guardian angels must protect him." 

"Why doesn't Don Diego adopt him?" Allison frowned. "Why is he a servant?" 

Victoria smiled wryly. "Felipe's a peasant, Allison, that's why; his parents were poor farmers. His late father was a _peon_." 

Allison frowned, puzzled. "What's a _peon_?" 

"A _peon_ is a poor farmer or laborer who repays a debt he owes his _patrón_ \--his master--by working it off. Too often, the debt is not paid off--it is passed on from father to son." Victoria made a face as she spoke those words. "The de la Vegas, on the other hand, are _caballeros_ —gentlemen. Wealthy landed aristocrats. It would not be fitting for a gentleman to adopt a peasant." 

Victoria paused and glanced down at her hands. She smiled at Allison. "That doesn't mean they never will, though. Only time will tell, of course, but I believe that they _will_ adopt Felipe, someday. Especially if Don Diego never gets married, he will need _someone_ to inherit the de la Vega money and lands. Otherwise, they will go to his cousin in Santa Barbara. Don Rafael." 

"Oh." Allison scratched her nose. "Is Felipe a _peon_?" 

"Under the de la Vegas?" Victoria laughed and shook her head. "Happily, no! The de la Vegas don't believe in _peonage_." 

When lunchtime arrived, Victoria served Padre Benitez and the children a meat _enchilada_ dish she had made at the tavern. They ate in the priest's private quarters. At the _padre's_ insistence, the children took a _siesta_ in their rooms afterward. 

"Miss Escalante sure is nice," Allison said, when she rejoined the priest following their _siesta_. 

The _padre_ smiled and nodded agreement. "She certainly is. She's very kind and very caring. Furthermore, Señorita Escalante is a true lady and a strong, independent, strong-minded young woman." 

"Is it true she's going to marry Zorro?" Allison trotted next to Padre Benitez down the hall; Todd followed behind. 

"Someday." Padre Benitez chuckled. "When Zorro no longer needs the mask." 

When the children were given their clothes back, Padre Benitez took them on the promised tour. He took them through the various rooms and explained their functions. He introduced them to some of the remaining mission servants, and explained what those servant's jobs were. He told the children what the function of the mission was--to lead the Indians to the Lord, to teach them the principles of the Catholic faith, and to teach them the ways of the Spanish—and in what ways the mission church helped them. 

"We're shorthanded right now, because the _alcalde_ took so many of our Indians." The priest sighed and shook his head. "I hope Zorro rescues them soon. The _alcalde_ is very cruel. I can't take you outside to show you around; the _alcalde_ or his soldiers will find you if I do. But I'll keep you busy." 

At last, he took them to the room where the mission school was held. A teacher was instructing 15 children in the basics of reading. As Todd and Allison followed the _padre_ in, everyone stared at their clothes, until the teacher ordered the children to pay attention to their lesson. For the next several minutes, Todd and Allison watched and listened attentively as the teacher taught the other children to read some two-syllable Spanish words. 

At last Padre Benitez said he needed to get back to work. "I want you to stay with these other children," he told Todd and Allison. "School will soon be out, and then you may play with them if you wish." 

"Don't worry," the teacher assured him. "I'll take good care of them. They are _americanos, si_?" Padre Benitez nodded. 

For the next half-hour, Todd and Allison sat in the back of the room and listened. At last, the teacher dismissed the class. The children left the room and went outside. Ten of the children left immediately to go home; the other five remained inside. 

"How come they have to go home right now, and you get to stay?" Allison asked one of the children, twisting her necklace. 

"They live on farms," the little girl, Rosita, explained. She tossed back her long, black hair as she spoke. "They have to go home and do their chores. We are orphans, and we live here. Padre Benitez takes care of us and teaches us about Jesus. We will have to work later, but for now, we can play." 

She knitted her eyebrows and pointed at Allison's clothes. "Uh, where'd you get those funny clothes?" 

Allison squirmed. "My mama buys our clothes. We--uh--dress different where we come from." 

Allison scanned the hall for Todd; she found her brother chatting with three boys. "Can I see your toys?" Allison asked, turning back to Rosita. 

_"Si."_ Rosita smiled. "Come with Elena and me, and we'll show them to you." 

The two girls took Allison down the hall. They entered a bedroom that looked just like the one Padre Benitez had assigned to Allison. "Elena's room is next to mine." 

Rosita opened her chest and invited Allison to look inside. Allison squatted on the floor and rummaged through the chest's contents. There was a rag doll with coal-black yarn braids, wearing a dull-green woolen skirt and a bright-red cotton blouse. There was a top, a jump rope, and a gaily-painted wooden cup that had a wooden ball fastened to it by a leather string. 

"What's this?" Allison picked up the cup. 

"That's my _balero_." Rosita took it from her. "Watch me, and I'll show you how it works." 

She yanked the cup upward. The ball flew up in the air, and then landed in the cup with a clink. "Now, you try it." Rosita handed the _balero_ to Allison. 

Allison yanked the cup upward. The ball flew up in the air, only to miss the cup by inches. "Try again," Rosita urged. "Sometimes, you have to try several times before it lands in the cup." 

Allison tried again, and missed again. Then she tried a third time. This time, the ball landed in the cup. Allison grinned broadly. 

"This is fun!" Allison wriggled. "Did Padre Benitez give it to you?" 

" _Si,_ after a _caballero_ gave it to him." Rosita paused a moment and leaned against the side of the bed. "People give him toys for us, and he gives them out." 

"I like Padre Benitez. He's so nice." 

"He sure is!" Elena agreed. "We have to work hard, but he takes good care of us. He tells us stories at night about God and Jesus and the saints. Tonight, he's going to tell us a story about King David." 

"Do you go to Sunday school?" Allison set the _balero_ in the chest. 

"Sunday school?" Rosita stared at Allison; she and Elena looked puzzled. "What's that?" 

Allison paused to think. "Well, on Sunday, Protestant churches give lessons about the Bible, before church starts. We call it Sunday school." 

"Oh. Well, we have catechism class," Elena said. "That's like Sunday school, I guess. We go every day but Sunday, to get ready for confirmation." 

"What's con-- _con_ \--fir-mation?" Allison pronounced the unknown word slowly. 

"It's a ceremony that makes you a member of the church. When you're 12." Rosita frowned. "Aren't _you_ going to get confirmed?" 

Allison shook her head. "I'm already a church member. I became a member when I was baptized. Todd and I are Baptists." 

For the next two hours, the three girls played in Rosita's bedroom. Elena brought her own toys to Rosita's bedroom so the girls could play with them. They jump-roped, played house with the two dolls, and played with the _baleros_. 

Allison enjoyed herself thoroughly. Playing with the Indian children was such fun! 

At last, a servant wearing a wooden rosary stepped in to tell Allison she was wanted in the priest's study. "Padre Benitez says to tell you girls it's time to do your tasks," he told Rosita and Elena. 

" _Si,_ Señor Fernandez," Rosita said, as the girls scrambled to their feet. The servant took Allison to the priest's study, where she found Todd and Padre Benitez waiting for her. 

"Todd, Allison, since we're so shorthanded now, I've decided to assign you some tasks while you're here," Padre Benitez told them. "I want you to go the laundry room and help the workers sort the laundry out. When you're done, come back here, and I'll tell you and the other children a story." 

Todd and Allison nodded. "Carlos, will you take the _niños_ to the laundry room?" the _padre_ asked the servant. 

_"Si, padre."_ Carlos grinned. "Come with me, children." 

He took the children to a tiny, windowless room in the back of the mission, where some other children and three adults were already at work. For the next hour, Todd and Allison helped the others sort out the mounds of laundry piled in that room. 

When they had finished, Todd and Allison joined the other children in Padre Benitez's study. He told them a story about a kindness King David had once shown to a lame man named Mephibosheth. 

After the story had been told, the children ate supper in a dining room with Padre Benitez and the remaining adult servants. Todd and Allison ate together; Rosita and Elena sat on Allison's right. After supper, the children, Padre Benitez, and the remaining adult servants sang some hymns and _fiesta_ songs. Unable to even recognize the Spanish words, let alone sing them, Todd and Allison sat quietly and listened. 

When bedtime came, Allison put on the cotton nightgown Padre Benitez had loaned her. As she lay in bed, with the soft bedcovers piled over her, she started to worry. What if the _alcalde_ decided to send his soldiers to search the church again? What if the soldiers found her and Todd in their bedrooms that night? Unless she and Todd could return to 1998 soon, they would remain in real danger! 

She also worried about her aunt and uncle. Had they called the police? Had they called the children's parents to report them missing? Allison wondered what their aunt and uncle would say when the children finally returned-- _if_ they returned. Would they believe the children's explanation that they had gone back in time? Or would they accuse their niece and nephew of lying or imagining things? 

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in," Allison called softly. 

The door creaked open; Padre Benitez entered the room. "I've come to hear your prayers, and to give you a couple of souvenirs of your stay here." He handed her a doll that was very similar to Rosita's and Elena's, except that it had a pink blouse and a bright-red skirt. He then handed her a _balero_. It was painted bright-red, with rows of navy-blue lines that zigzagged in a circle around the cup. 

"Now, when you play with Elena and Rosita, you'll have your own toys to play with." The priest smiled. "They're yours, to keep." 

Allison squealed with joy. She flung her arms around the kind priest and hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you! I love them!" She hugged the doll to her bosom. "Did Todd get any presents, too?" 

The priest nodded. "A _balero_ and a toy soldier." 

"Please, send him in here? I want to see them." 

Padre Benitez nodded. "Yes, but only for a moment. It is almost bedtime; we all have to get up with the sun tomorrow. I want to hear your prayers, first." 

Allison knelt by the side of the bed and cleared her throat. "Now, I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. 

"And God bless Todd and Mom and Daddy and Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted. And God bless Don Diego and Don Alejandro and Felipe and Miss Escalante and Padre Benitez, and make me a good girl forever and ever. In Jesus' name, amen." 

Allison paused. "And please, God, help Todd and me find our way home before the _alcalde_ finds us. And help Zorro save the mission Indians. Amen, again." 

She rose to her feet; the bed sagged and creaked under her as she sat down. She glanced at Padre Benitez, who looked astonished. "Well," he said, at last, "I must say I've never heard a prayer like that, before. Is that the way Protestants pray?" 

"Pretty much." Allison glanced at her new doll. "We don't pray to Mary and the saints, just to God and Jesus. My mom taught Todd and me that prayer." 

"Oh." The priest turned toward the door. "Well, I'd better fetch your brother." 

The priest left the room; minutes later, Todd entered, dressed in a cotton nightshirt. "Look what Padre Benitez gave me!" He displayed his _balero_ , painted dark-green with straight yellow lines, and a carved wooden toy soldier, the uniform gaily-painted red and black. "Aren't they cool?" He tossed his _balero_ above his head and caught it. 

"They sure are!" Allison snatched her toys and held them up. "And look what he gave _me_!" 

Todd exclaimed over the doll and _balero_. "I can't stay in here to play, or Padre Benitez'll get mad. We've got to talk." He perched on the bed, set his toys on the bed and leaned forward. 

Allison sat up straight. She sensed that what Todd wanted to talk about was serious. 

"We can't stay here," Todd said. "The _alcalde_ might find us. Besides, we've got to find that cave, so we can go back to 1998. As long as we stay here in 1820, we're in real danger from the _alcalde_." 

"How are we going to find that cave?" Allison clutched her doll. 

"We'll just have to look for it. Let's get dressed and meet in the back of the church when everyone's asleep. Then, if the _alcalde_ comes looking for us again, we'll be gone. No one'll know where we are." 

Allison gulped. "Do we _have_ to leave at _night_?" 

Todd nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Yes, Allison, we have to. Padre Benitez'll never be able to find our folks for us, 'cause we're not in our own time anymore. Our only hope is to find that cave and go back in it. They'll stop us if we try to go in the daytime." 

Allison paused to think. Todd was right. They would never get back to their own time if they relied on the priest, and to leave during the day would be too risky. She sighed. 

"How will I know when to go in back?" 

Todd thought a moment. "I guess I'll have to come back here for you. I'll go back to my room now, and get dressed. You go ahead and get dressed, too, and be ready when I come back." 

"Are we taking our new toys with us?" 

"Sure! I don't want to leave them behind." 

Todd picked up his toys and left the room. Allison took her clothes out of the chest at the foot of the bed, and put them back on. After dropping her nightgown in the chest, Allison blew out the candles, hopped into bed, and pulled the soft covers up to her neck. For a while, she lay curled on her side, eyes shut. 

Suddenly, she felt a hand shaking her by the shoulder. "Allison! Wake up! It's time to go. Everyone's sleeping." 

As Allison sat up in bed, the mattress creaked under her. She climbed out, grabbed her doll and _balero_ , and left the room with Todd. The children cautiously tiptoed down the dark hall toward the back, and left the building. They walked in the direction of the north gate. 

Minutes passed as the children tramped further into the countryside. The hills appeared as shadowy outlines against a dark background. Glittering stars dotted the sky. A cool breeze caressed Allison's cheek, and blew her blonde hair out behind her. 

"I wish we had our backpacks!" she complained. 

"So do I, but we can't go get them, now. We've got to find that cave." 

"We've been in 1820 for two whole days," Allison said. "I bet Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted are real worried." 

The children said nothing after that, for a long time. For a while, Allison twisted her necklace. Suddenly, she frowned. "Los Angeles sure is small. Why's it so small in 1820 and so big in 1998?" 

Todd frowned in his turn. "Gosh, I don't know. But I sure wish I did. I'd like to know how a little village could get so big." He paused. "When we get back to 1998, let's find out." 

Allison smiled wryly. "It sure is different--going back in time--from reading a schoolbook or visiting some old, _old_ place!" Todd agreed. 

More time passed; Allison had no idea of how much. The moon slowly rose into the sky; twinkling stars dotted the sky thickly. Several times, Todd tossed and caught his _balero_. Allison tried to bite her fingernails; finding them too short to bite any further, she twisted her necklace with one hand and clutched her new toys with the other. 

At last, exhausted, the children stopped to rest. "We'll look again in the morning. It'll be easier, then." Todd lay down on his side, in the shelter of a boulder. He laid his toys next to his head. 

Allison plopped down next to her brother, and set her toys on the ground beside her legs. She slumped against the boulder, yawned, and closed her eyes. For some time, she listened to the breeze whisper. It ruffled her bangs and caressed her soft cheeks. 

Suddenly, she opened her eyes. Daylight flooded her eyes. To her horror, two horses' hooves stood right in front of her face!


	4. Astounding Discoveries

Allison scrooged her eyes shut and whimpered. She reached toward her knees, grabbed her toys, and clutched them to her chest. She just knew the _alcalde_ and his soldiers had found her and Todd! 

"Todd! Allison!" Don Diego's voice! 

Allison opened her eyes and craned her head upward. Sure enough, Don Diego sat astride his horse just a few feet from her body. On a nearby horse sat Don Alejandro. To the east, the sun hung suspended over the hill. The cool breeze brushed Allison's forehead. 

Don Diego climbed off his horse and helped Allison to her feet. "My father and I have been searching for you children all night!" He hugged her tightly. "Padre Benitez sent a messenger to our _hacienda_ last night, to ask if you had returned to our house." 

"We were looking for our aunt and uncle," Todd said, as he scrambled to his feet. 

"Well, you should have waited till daylight to conduct such a search," Don Alejandro chided him, as he embraced the boy. "Wild animals roam the desert at night." 

"We need to take the children back to our _hacienda_ , Father," Don Diego said. Don Alejandro nodded agreement. 

The de la Vegas helped the children mount the horses, then took them back to the de la Vega home. Back at the _hacienda_ , they fed the children sweet rolls and hot chocolate. 

"At least, the children are safe, for now," Don Alejandro said, "but I'm still worried about the mission Indians." 

"Why does the _alcalde_ want them?" Todd set down his snow-white china cup; it clicked in its saucer. Across the dining table, Allison took a bite of her sweet roll and swallowed. Felipe leaned against the wall. 

Don Alejandro leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Well, Todd, our _alcalde_ is a wicked, corrupt, greedy man. To benefit himself, he exploits the people and hurts them. Once, not too long ago, he took many young men as slave labor to build a road he was naming after himself. Another time, during a drought, he tried to force the people to pay for the water in the _plaza_ fountain." 

Don Alejandro drank some coffee and wiped his mouth. His china coffee cup clinked in its saucer. "Time after time, he has levied taxes that the people couldn't afford to pay, and when they couldn't, the _alcalde_ had them jailed and confiscated their lands--that means he took their lands for the government, Allison. He's been doing that again, as of late. His cruelty and greed are the reasons Zorro defends us." Don Alejandro sighed. "Now he has started some project we're not even aware of, and he's taken some of the mission Indians as slave labor to construct the project." 

Don Diego nodded. "He will not pay them for their work, and he will mistreat them in every way possible." 

"Poor Indians." Allison felt sad and angry. "That's awful!" 

"Yes, Allison, it certainly is." Don Diego looked grim. 

The de la Vegas stood up and pushed back their chairs. Don Alejandro led the way into the drawing room. "Don Diego, are all _alcaldes_ mean?" Todd looked at him as they sat down. 

Don Diego smiled and shook his head. "No, Todd. Most _alcaldes_ are honest, just, decent men. Luis Ramon's predecessor was. But some _are_ wicked and greedy, and they are the ones who will hurt the people they rule, unless someone opposes them as Zorro does." 

The children sat silently a minute. Then Todd asked, "Has Zorro ever saved any of you? Or Miss Escalante?" 

Diego smiled. "So far, Todd, Zorro has not had to save me. He _has_ rescued my father and Señorita Escalante on more than one occasion. Once, the _alcalde_ arrested my father and Victoria for opposing his tyranny; when Zorro helped them escape, the _alcalde_ arrested my father again, with the intention to hang him. That happened shortly after I returned from Spain." 

Don Alejandro nodded. "And not just me, but a group of poor farmers Zorro had also freed from the _alcalde's_ jail. Zorro saved us again, when that happened. And Zorro has had to save Victoria several times. Once, the _alcalde_ decided to use her as bait to capture Zorro, because he knew that Zorro would come to her rescue. He framed her for a murder she didn't commit." 

"And once, Zorro rescued Felipe from a pair of kidnappers. A man and a woman." Don Diego glanced at the boy, who hung his head and fidgeted. Don Alejandro pursed his lips and shook his head. "That was just a few months ago," Diego explained. "My father was out of town, at the time." 

"Felipe was kidnapped? Why?" Allison stared at Felipe. 

"They were going to use him to rob a bank in Mexico City." Don Diego's voice grew hard. "The woman came to our _hacienda_ , pretending to be Felipe's long-lost mother. She kept up the pretence until she took Felipe away and rejoined her partner; then they tied Felipe up and held him captive in a barn miles from here. A _very_ cruel trick to play on an innocent young orphan, and for the foulest of reasons--to satisfy their greed!" He glared fiercely at the opposite wall and shook his head. "If it hadn't been for Señorita Victoria and her brother--" Diego shuddered. Then he placed his arm around Felipe's shoulder and smiled affectionately at the boy. 

"I agree." Don Alejandro straightened his jacket. "And I'm _most_ thankful that the two kidnappers did not succeed in their cruel plot." Felipe nodded, then squirmed and stared down at the floor. Don Diego squeezed his shoulder. 

"Did Zorro ever have to save Felipe from the _alcalde_?" Todd asked. 

Don Diego smiled and shook his head. "Thankfully, no. And I hope he'll never have to." 

Don Alejandro drew his timepiece out of his pocket and glanced at it. "Well, I'm going to ride to town. I need to tell Padre Benitez that the children are safe, Diego, and then I'm going to protest to the _alcalde_ his treatment of the mission Indians." 

"Be careful," Don Diego warned him. "I do not want you to end up in jail as the children did." 

"Zorro will save him if he does." Todd grinned. "Right?" 

Don Alejandro laughed and ruffled Todd's bangs. "Well, Todd, he's never failed to, yet." He turned serious. "Children, I want you to promise me something. There's to be no more running off, by night _or_ by day. Diego and I will help you locate your aunt and uncle; you have our promise on that." He touched Todd's shoulder and stared directly at him, then at Allison. "Do _I_ have _your_ promise that you'll stay right here, where Diego and I can find you?" 

Todd and Allison glanced at each other and nodded. "Yes, sir." Todd fidgeted. 

_"Bueno."_ Don Alejandro smiled and squeezed Todd's shoulder. "We'll keep you safe from the _alcalde_ , too. Don't you worry about him." He ruffled Allison's hair, then left. 

Don Diego glanced at his gold pocket watch. "Well, Felipe, it's time for your lessons. Go fetch your schoolbooks and other things, and take them to the _patio_. I'll be there as soon as I tend to something." Felipe nodded. 

"Does Felipe go to school?" Allison asked. 

Don Diego shook his head. "No, but he _does_ have lessons at home. I'm his tutor." He smiled at Felipe proudly. "Felipe's a smart boy and a good student. He is quite well-educated--as well-educated, in fact, as any young _caballero_ could ever be." Felipe smiled back. 

"Aren't the kids at the mission well-educated?" Allison frowned. 

Don Diego shook his head. "I'm afraid not, _muchacha_. Not nearly as well as young gentlemen. At the mission, the instructor teaches the Bible, reading, spelling and writing, and simple arithmetic, and to those who live at the mission, he also teaches grammar, more arithmetic, and Spanish and colonial history and geography. Many of his students who live on farms drop out before they ever reach that point; only a small number ever graduate. Some can barely write their own names." 

Todd and Allison frowned at each other. "Why is that?" Todd asked. 

"How did you children learn to read and write?" 

Allison paused to think. "Uh, well, my first-grade teacher taught us to read and write the alphabet. Then she taught us sounds. You know, the sounds that letters make." 

"Me, too," Todd said. "And then, she taught us to put the sounds together to make words; some of the words we learned to read, we had to memorize. And we had to learn to spell them and write them down. Then we had to start learning grammar and punctuation and stuff." 

"Did she teach you numbers after she taught you to read and write?" Diego gazed at the children. Felipe watched expectantly. 

Todd and Allison shook their heads. "We had to learn arithmetic from the first day of school," Todd said. "In first grade, we learned to count, first, then we learned to add and subtract and tell time. I learned fractions and stuff, last year." 

"And _I_ learned the multiplication tables and stuff, last year!" Allison scratched her neck. 

Don Diego nodded. "I see. Well, here, the mission instructor teaches each subject one at a time. He teaches the basics of reading, first. Then he teaches printing, then cursive writing, then simple arithmetic. Many farm children drop out of school before they get far in their handwriting instruction, because they're needed at home to help with the work." Diego sighed. "Most farm children don't go to school at all, and since their parents never went, either, they never have a chance to even learn to read. I hope that, one day, that will change, but it will be a long time before it does." 

"Is that the way you taught Felipe?" Allison asked. 

"Actually, my father taught him to read and write." Don Diego smoothed his snow-white linen shirt. "I was studying at the University of Madrid at the time--Madrid's a city in Spain, Allison. When my father hired Felipe, he didn't even know his ABCs, so my father had to start Felipe's education from scratch." 

Diego paused. "In answer to your question, Allison, no, it was not the way my father _or_ I have taught Felipe. When my father first started to teach Felipe his lessons, Felipe was eight years old--my father had hired him when he was seven. Since Felipe could neither hear nor speak, my father felt a great sense of urgency about giving him a way to communicate other than sign language. He taught Felipe to read and write and spell at the same time, and to add and subtract, as well. And for three months out of the year, he attended the mission school, until he was 13." 

Don Diego paused. "And unlike the farm and village children, who only attend the mission school three months every year until they're confirmed, Felipe's education at home went on year-round, and still does. As mine did." 

He smiled at Felipe affectionately and proudly. "As my father had promised me when I left for Madrid University, Felipe was well-schooled when I returned from Spain. I had only to take over his education. Felipe's not only an excellent servant, he's an excellent student." Felipe smiled bashfully and glanced at the floor. 

"What else do they learn?" Todd asked. "The mission kids?" 

Don Diego paused. "Well, from day one, they learn the catechism--that's the basic principles of the Catholic faith, Allison. Those who get far enough in their schooling eventually learn to read the Bible. And from the first day of school, the instructor teaches every student various crafts--pottery, basketweaving, rugmaking, etc. Young _caballeros_ who attend the mission school as well receive private tutoring learn all that and a lot more. Felipe did. And so did I, as a boy." 

"Like what?" Allison gazed at him. 

Don Diego leaned back. "Well, Allison, _caballeros_ learn foreign languages, such as Latin, Greek, French, and English. They learn to memorize Scripture and poetry, and they learn to read the classics--both in the vernacular and in other languages. For example, they learn to read and recite the Bible, Homer, Virgil, Caesar, Cicero, St. Augustine, Cervantes, Dante, and Shakespeare. They learn to write well and coherently, and to define and spell complicated words. They learn to make speeches and to write compositions. And they learn not just arithmetic, but algebra, geometry, calculus, and trigonometry, as well." 

"They have to learn all that?" Todd stared at Don Diego. "That's a lot of stuff!" 

"Over the years, they do." Don Diego chuckled and nodded. "And their educations are not limited to books, Todd. They also learn to dance, to shoot, to handle a sword, to swim, and to ride a horse. To draw, paint, sculpt statues, and play musical instruments. My own education included all those subjects. So does Felipe's." 

"Yuck!" Allison clutched her throat and gagged. "I'm glad _I'm_ not a young _caballero_!" 

Don Diego chuckled. "Trust me, Allison, it's rewarding. You and Todd may not realize it now, but later, you'll see for yourselves how useful and rewarding book learning is. Those who are fortunate, as I was, learn the sciences, as well. Felipe is learning everything I learned as a boy, and more. The only thing he's not able to learn is speech-making." 

He glanced at his watch. "Good heavens, here we stand talking, and I'm supposed to be teaching! Felipe, get your books and go to the _patio_ ; I'll be with you shortly." Felipe nodded in acquiescence. 

Don Diego left the dining room. Felipe strode to the library, gathered his school things, and left; a few minutes later, Diego returned with a maid who was carrying the children's backpacks. The maid laid them on the couch in the drawing room, then left. The children thanked Don Diego for the return of their backpacks. 

"Who taught you, Don Diego?" Allison asked. 

"My father taught me to read and write, when I was five. Later, when I was seven, he hired an excellent English tutor, Jonathan Spencer. My tutor had charge of my education until I went away to Spain. I was in my twenties, then." Don Diego ruffled Allison's hair. "In addition, even though I didn't really need to, my parents required me to attend the church school every year, from the time I was five years old until I was confirmed at age 12. They wanted me to have a better understanding of the lives of poor people--and in particular, our tenants--and they felt that sending me to the church school would aid me there." 

"Did it?" Allison tilted her head. 

Don Diego nodded. "It helped." 

Todd stood silently a moment, thinking. "Uh, Don Diego, do people listen to Don Alejandro?" 

Don Diego smiled. "Indeed, they do. His word carries a great deal of weight in Los Angeles. My father is a wise man, and the people know it. Unfortunately, the _alcalde_ is not one of those people, Todd, so don't expect him to heed my father's protests." 

He glanced at his gold pocket watch again. "Well, _amigos,_ I must give Felipe his lessons. When he's finished, we'll discuss your problems and think of some way to solve them. In the meantime, I want you to do as you promised my father. No running off." He held up his finger for emphasis. Allison and Todd nodded. 

"Uh, what time is it?" Allison asked. "My watch isn't working." 

"It's nine o' clock." Diego inserted his watch into his vest pocket. "We'll be done by lunch time." 

Don Diego left the room. "Don Diego sure is nice," Todd said. 

The children set their backpacks on the gleaming marble floor and put their new toys inside with the others. For the next hour, they explored the house and the enclosed _patio_ , then returned to the drawing room to play with their toys. 

While they played, Allison thought about how different people in 1820 were from people in 1998...how different Don Diego and Don Alejandro were from her daddy, her grandpa, and her uncle Ted. They looked different, talked differently, and thought differently. Yet, in many ways, they were the same. 

At last, Todd plopped onto the blue satin brocade couch in the drawing room and sat thinking. He tossed his new _balero_ into the air, and caught it; Allison played with hers. "I wish we could help the Indians," Todd said, once. "That _alcalde's_ the meanest man in the whole world!" He tossed his _balero_ above his head. 

The children sat silently a while longer, reading. Todd read his comic books, and Allison read her novel, _Kristy's Great Idea_. "I miss having TV sets and hamburgers and stuff," Allison said, finally. "I'm tired of _tortillas_ and carriages. I want airplanes and cars and telephones and hamburgers." She ran her fingers through her hair as she spoke. 

"Yeah, me, too." Todd thought a moment. "Hey, Allison! I know how we can find our aunt and uncle, and still keep our promise!" 

"How?" Allison stared at him. 

Todd stood up and tossed his _balero_ and comic books on the couch. "We'll go through the secret entrance and look for the cave. Maybe, it'll take us back to 1998. And if it doesn't, at least we'll be close to the _hacienda_." 

Allison frowned. "If it _does_ take us back, what about Don Diego and Don Alejandro and Felipe?" 

"What about Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted?" Todd glared at her. "And what about Mom and Dad? They're worried sick, by now! Anyway, that horrible _alcalde'll_ find us, sooner or later, if we stay." 

Allison sighed and dropped her _balero_ and book into her backpack. She zipped it up and slung it onto her shoulder. Todd did likewise with his. 

The children strode toward the fireplace in the library. Todd pressed the secret lever, and the door swung open. He led the way down the secret hall, which was lit with candlelight this time, and stepped into the secret room. 

As Allison followed her brother, the children halted and stared around. White candles lit the room from the candleholders in the stone walls. A polished mahogany desk, piled with books, stood under an _adobe_ -brick Moorish arch to their right; a clock hung on the wall behind the desk. It read eleven-thirty. 

Two long tables that were covered with glass test tubes, jars filled with various colored liquids, and other science equipment, stood near each other in the middle of the room. A brass coat tree stood to the left of the room, on which hung a black silk cape, a black linen mask and tunic, and a black hat. Swords and black whips hung on the wall to the left behind them, under a Moorish arch. 

In the secret passage itself, the long metal spout poured a steady stream of water into a trough underneath. A coal-black stallion grazed on hay that lay in piles on the floor. It raised its head and whinnied at them. In the left-hand corner behind the horse, the saddle and bridle lay in a heap. 

"Allison, look!" Todd gasped, pointing at the costume, then at the horse. "That's Zorro's costume! And his horse." He stared at Allison and shook his head. "Don't you see? Don Diego is _Zorro_!" 

Allison gaped at her brother. How could Don Diego be Zorro? The two men were so different! 

"He can't be!" She shook her head violently. "There's no way!" 

"Remember Batman?" Todd looked at her. "People never thought Bruce Wayne could be Batman, either! But he is. So, why _couldn't_ Don Diego be Zorro?" 

Allison suddenly remembered. "Uh, weren't we going to look for the cave?" 

Todd led the way through the secret passage, with Allison in close pursuit. He stamped on the wooden lever, and the secret entrance swung open. 

Allison followed him outside. As she gazed at the surrounding canyon, she saw another long, wooden lever half-hidden in the ground, covered with dirt. "There's the piece of wood that opens it!" She raced toward the lever and stamped on it. The secret passage swung open again, then closed behind Todd. 

"Why didn't we see it before?" Allison asked. 

Todd shrugged. "It must have been all covered with dirt." 

The children darted around the corner, and raced down the canyon until they found the cave. "Look!" Allison squealed. "It's the cave!" 

For the next half-hour, the children pounded on the cave walls, stomped on the floor, and searched carefully, trying to find the mechanism that would return them to their own time. But the earthquake and blinding light never recurred. 

At last, Allison sank down on a ledge and slumped against the wall. "I'm tired." She choked down a sob. "The cave won't let us go back! We're stuck!" 

Todd sank down on the floor and laid his head on his knees. For a long time, he did not move or speak. 

"We're _never_ going to get back to 1998!" Todd complained. "We're going to be stuck here _forever_!" He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 

Allison rose to her feet, whirled around, and pressed her face against the ice-cold cave wall. She felt discouraged. What if they could _never_ return to their own time, just as Todd had predicted? She wept. 

At last, Todd sighed and stood up. "What time is it?" 

Allison wiped her face with the back of her hand and glanced at her watch. "I don't know. My watch hasn't worked since we came here." She sniffled. 

"We'd better go back," Todd said. "Come on, or Don Diego'll think we've run away, again!" 

The children trudged out of the cave and returned to the secret entrance with slumped shoulders. Allison sighed as Todd stamped on the lever. 

As the children paused in Zorro's secret laboratory, Don Diego and Felipe entered it. They froze and stared at the children in shock.


	5. Futuristic Wonders

Allison felt terrified. She and Todd were really in for it, now! A knot formed in her stomach. 

"Please, don't be mad!" she begged. "We didn't mean to find out your secret. Honest, we didn't! I was just leaning against the fireplace, and the door opened. We just _had_ to see what was in it!" Tears filled her eyes, and she took deep breaths. Next to her, Todd squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. 

Sympathy spread across Don Diego's face. He approached the children, squeezed Todd's shoulder, and wiped the tears off Allison's face. "I'm not angry," he said, kindly. "But I _am_ concerned. I keep my identity as Zorro a secret for a very good reason—the _alcalde_ would threaten anyone who knew, so not even my father knows. If the _alcalde_ ever suspected that you two knew my secret identity, he would force you to tell him, by torture if necessary. He's already anxious enough to find you, as it is." He handed Allison his linen handkerchief. 

"We'll never, never, _never_ tell!" Todd promised. "I can keep a secret." 

"I can, too." Allison blew her nose. "I'll never tell, either. Not ever!" 

Don Diego smiled. "I'm sure you won't. I feel sure I can trust you." He turned serious. "It's a dangerous burden you carry, however, knowing my secret. It makes it all the more imperative that my father and Felipe and I keep you children out of harm's way. Good intentions have a way of breaking down when one is in pain or is threatened with pain, and I have no intention of letting that happen to you. The _alcalde_ must _never_ find you! If we take you to town again, we will have to disguise you, first." 

"Are you going to help the mission Indians?" Todd asked. 

"I must." Don Diego pursed his lips. "And I must keep an eye on the _alcalde_ , as well. Recently, he's been levying a cattle tax on the poor farmers, and I've had to rescue them from jail and save their lands from being confiscated." 

"How long has Felipe known your secret?" Allison glanced at the deaf-mute boy as she handed Don Diego the handkerchief. 

Don Diego smiled. "He's known of my secret identity from the beginning. I'll tell you another secret, and I want you to keep it as carefully as you've promised to keep mine. Promise?" 

"I promise," Todd said. 

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Allison added. 

"I certainly don't intend to let _that_ happen to you." Don Diego chuckled. "The secret is this: Felipe can hear. He used to be deaf, but he isn't, anymore. But he is unable to speak." 

"Nobody else knows it?" Todd asked. 

"Nobody else. Except for you and me." 

"How did Felipe get deaf and mute? Was he born that way?" Allison glanced at Felipe, who in turn gazed at Don Diego. 

Don Diego shook his head. "No, Allison. Felipe lost his speech and hearing when his parents died in the August Revolution. My hunch is that an exploding cannonball killed his parents and destroyed his hearing, as they were trying to get out of harm's way; what destroyed his speech, I don't know. Only a miracle kept him from losing his life. He was only seven, at the time." 

Don Diego shook his head sadly, and sighed. "Felipe regained his hearing shortly before I returned from Madrid, but for fear that my father would treat him differently if he found out, he decided to keep it a secret. He didn't intend that _I_ should find it out, either, but quite by accident, I did. After I discovered his secret, we decided to keep it a secret so he'd be able to assist Zorro without endangering himself." 

"Oh." Allison nodded. "How old was he when you came back?" 

"Felipe was thirteen, at the time." Don Diego brushed a black forelock out of his eyes. "He's fourteen, now." 

"He's four years older than me, then," Todd said. "I'm ten." 

"And I'm nine," Allison added. 

"Does Felipe still think that Don Alejandro would treat him different?" Todd asked. 

Diego smiled fondly at Felipe. "No, Todd, he knows better, now. Felipe knows that my father loves him and would treat him with kindness, no matter what. And someday, when it is safe to do so, we will tell my father. Until then, we must keep Felipe's secret as we keep my own." 

He smiled again. "Felipe well knows how to keep a secret; therefore, I rely on him to spy for me, and to assist Zorro when necessary. No one ever suspects Felipe of being in league with Zorro, because everyone believes that he's still deaf. And now that we've answered your questions, _amigos,_ suppose you answer mine. Somehow, I have a feeling that you didn't just blunder in here." 

Todd and Allison glanced nervously at each other. "Well, uh, we have a secret, too." Todd squirmed. "We didn't tell you about it when we told you how we got lost, 'cause we were afraid you wouldn't believe us. Don Diego, if we tell you now, will you promise not to think we're just lying? Or imagining things?" 

Don Diego smiled kindly. "Suppose you tell Felipe and me your secret first, and then I'll decide about that." 

Todd stood stock-still. Allison stared at the floor. "Well, we came from another time." She fidgeted. "From the future. From 1998." Sweat broke out on her palms. 

She glanced up. Don Diego and Felipe were staring at the children in shock and disbelief. "I'm not lying!" Allison protested. 

"We won't say another word if you think we are!" Todd frowned rebelliously and clenched his fists against his sides. 

Don Diego held up his hand. "Relax, _niños_. I'm ready to listen as open-mindedly as I can. It _is_ hard to believe, Todd, but I'm willing to listen." 

The children told Don Diego and Felipe about their aunt and uncle, who had bought the house from a distant descendant of his, John de la Vega. Todd and Allison told them about how they had come across the secret passage in June, 1998, which they had followed till they had reached the canyon. 

The children explained about finding the cave, and described the flood of light and the earthquake that had transported them to 1820. They explained how they had returned to the cave while Felipe was having his lessons, only to find themselves still stranded in 1820 when they came out. 

"We had just come back in this room when you and Felipe came in," Allison added. 

Don Diego stood stock-still for a long moment, gaping at the children. "Suppose you show Felipe and me this cave?" he suggested. 

The children led the way out of the secret passage and up the canyon to the cave. They led the way inside. "We were standing right here when it happened." Todd pointed at a dark-brown boulder and then at the glittering glowworms dotting the ceiling. 

After Don Diego and Felipe stood admiring the glowworms for a few minutes, Don Diego sat down on the boulder and thought for a moment. "You know," he said, at last, "I'm reminded of a story an old, old Indian once told me about this particular cave. I was just Felipe's age when it happened." 

He paused a moment. "He told me that strange, inexplicable things tended to happen in this cave during certain weather conditions. People actually disappeared, never to be seen again, when they entered the cave during those weather conditions. Since it's not a deep cave--not a labyrinth--no one should disappear like that." 

Don Diego paused again, shaking his head. "Those conditions were in place, the morning Zorro first saved you from the _alcalde_. I used to dismiss the Indian's story as just a superstitious legend, but now...I...I'm not so sure." 

He gazed at the children. "What did the sky look like when you were transported to our time?" 

"Well--" Todd said, fidgeting. "Uh, the sky was yellow. Yellowish, kind of." 

"Brassy?" Todd and Allison nodded. 

Don Diego stood up. "Todd, Allison, we will wait and watch for those weather conditions to return. When they do, Felipe and I will bring you back to this cave and we will see what happens. In the meantime, we've got work to do, so let's return to the _hacienda_ , shall we?" 

The group returned to Zorro's cave, then re-entered the library. As the secret door swung shut, Allison declared, "That cave of Zorro's is a neat place to hide. It's so secret." Don Diego laughed and agreed. 

Don Alejandro returned from his errands, and the children ate lunch with the de la Vegas. After _siesta_ , Don Alejandro went to the enclosed _patio_ to read a book, and the others met in the library. Felipe, with a questioning look on his face, gestured. Watching the gestures, Don Diego interpreted them. "Felipe wants to know what Los Angeles will be like in 1998." 

Todd paused. "We haven't seen much of it, yet. Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice are going to take us sightseeing. It's real, real, real, _real_ big! It's a _big_ city with millions of people." 

Don Diego and Felipe gaped at each other. "Will California still be a Spanish territory?" Don Diego asked. 

Todd and Allison looked at each other and shook their heads. "It'll be an American state." Allison twisted her necklace. "Like Oklahoma and New York. But we don't know how it got that way. We don't know much history." 

"We haven't studied American history, yet," Todd admitted. "I will, when school starts again. In 1998, all children have to go to school, boys _and_ girls. And not just rich kids. It's the law." 

"I'm going to be in the fourth grade," Allison added. "And Todd's going to be in the fifth. We don't know who our teachers'll be, yet." 

Todd grinned. "People will drive cars instead of riding horses and driving wagons and carriages. A car goes so fast, you can go 60 miles in one hour." 

" _And_ without horses!" Allison chimed in. 

Don Diego and Felipe stared at them, evidently stunned. "People'll be able to watch TV--television. That's a box with sounds and moving pictures," Todd said. "You can see people doing stuff and hear them talking on TV. Plays and concerts and stuff are shown on TV. My favorite show is _Batman_." 

Don Diego smiled, yet his brow was furrowed in evident puzzlement. "This is the second time you've told me about this Batman, Todd. Who is he?" 

"A crimefighter." Todd scratched his nose. "He's not real, though; he's make-believe. Some guy made him up. There are comic books about him, too; I've got some in my backpack. I'll show them to you, if you want. He wears a bat costume and catches criminals. He doesn't fight the police; he doesn't have to. The police are good." 

"He has a secret cave, too," Allison chimed in. "His real name is Bruce Wayne, and he's really rich. He lives in a mansion, and he's a good man. He keeps his crime stuff in the cave, like you." 

"He has a car instead of a horse," Todd added. "It's called a Batmobile, and he keeps it in the cave. He goes after these real bad arch-criminals like the Riddler, the Penguin, and the Joker and Catwoman. They always try to kill him, but he always gets them and they go to jail." 

Todd paused. "Oh, yes. Two people help him. One's a boy--a teenager, like Felipe--he's in high school. His name's Dick Grayson; Bruce Wayne's his guardian, 'cause he's an orphan, you see. He's a crimefighter, too, and he calls himself Robin when he's helping Batman. And wears a costume. The other one's Alfred Pennyworth--he's Bruce Wayne's butler. Batman and Robin keep their secret from everyone else. Even Dick's Aunt Harriet Cooper. She lives with them, you see." 

Don Diego and Felipe stared at each other for a long moment. "It sounds as if they got the idea for Batman's exploits from Zorro's," Diego finally said. Felipe nodded agreement. 

"There'll be phones, too," Allison said. "Telephones. It's a thing you use to talk to people in other places. If you want to call someone, you pick your phone up and dial his phone number, then his phone rings. The person you're calling picks up his phone, and you talk to each other." 

"How far away can this other person be?" Don Diego scratched his head. 

Todd grinned. "You can talk to people on the other side of the _world_!" He laughed at Don Diego's gaping mouth. "And guess what! There'll be _airplanes_ , too!" 

"Excuse me?" Don Diego stared at the boy, evidently puzzled. 

"Airplanes!" Todd grinned again. "A big machine that flies in the air--way up in the sky--and people ride in it. You can go all over the world in an airplane--that's how we came to California. We went all the way from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles in just a few hours. If we'd taken a car or bus, it would've taken a few days." 

That was clearly too much for Don Diego and Felipe. Don Diego leaned against the wall, stunned, for several minutes. Felipe gaped at the children and shook his head. Don Diego scratched his head at one point, and stared at Felipe. 

"There's so much to take in," Don Diego said, at last. "I don't suppose you children know when the United States will take over California." 

The children shook their heads. "We sure don't," Todd said ruefully. "But I wish we did! Uncle Ted told us at breakfast, but I forget when." 

"Me, too," Allison admitted. "In this century--18-something. You and Felipe'll probably be alive, then. I wish Uncle Ted was with us--he'd know." 

Suddenly, Felipe grinned. As the others watched him, he gestured, then pointed at the window. 

Don Diego watched him. "You want to take the children outside to play?" Felipe nodded. Don Diego looked at Todd and Allison. "Children, would you like that?" 

The children beamed. "We sure would!" Todd said. 

Felipe left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a wooden ball, painted yellow. Don Diego followed the three young people outside. For the next half-hour, they stood outside and played catch behind the _hacienda_ , in the vicinity of the stable. 

Suddenly, Don Diego held up his hand for silence. "Listen!" he whispered. 

The children stood stock-still. Faint hoofbeats reached Allison's ears. She stared at her brother; the uneasy expression on his face told her that he heard the sound, too. Worry lines creased Don Diego's forehead. 

"That may be soldiers. I'd better find you a place to hide," Don Diego said. "There's no time now to take you to the cave. Felipe, take them to the haystacks. They can hide inside one of them. Make sure the soldiers can't tell from looking that someone's there." 

Felipe gestured to the children and raced toward the huge barn. Todd darted after him. Allison rushed after her brother in hot pursuit. 

Soon, the three young people reached a cluster of sweet-smelling haystacks towering above them. The children hurried toward a stack in the middle. Todd burrowed into it and crawled inside. Allison followed. The children listened to the sounds of swishing as Felipe replaced the hay they had scattered, crawling in. Felipe's foot thuds faded into the distance. 

The hay encircled Allison, digging into her arms, legs, and head, and pressing against her jumper. The thick, sweet smell filled her nostrils. 

"If the soldiers find us, they'll put us back in jail!" she whimpered. 

"They _will_ , for sure, if we talk!" Todd hissed. "Be quiet, will you?" 

Allison nodded and pressed her lips together. Silently, she prayed that the soldiers would not find them. 

Minutes passed. Allison was terrified. Had the soldiers come to look for them? How would Zorro save her and Todd a second time, if the _alcalde_ put the children back in jail? And what would they do if the _alcalde_ guessed that she and Todd had discovered Zorro's identity? 

_This isn't fair!_ she thought. _We're just kids; we don't deserve to be put in jail! We haven't committed any crimes!_

Suddenly, she heard the faint clumping of boots and faint voices. Faint male voices. She held her breath to listen. 

"The _alcalde_ has ordered us to find those kids!" She recognized the voice of the sergeant. "Now, search!" 

Allison shook uncontrollably. She gasped for breath. At that moment, a hand squeezed her ankle. "Quiet!" Todd whispered. "You want to get us arrested?" 

Annoyed, Allison pursed her lips. As if Todd didn't know the answer to that question! Still, this was no time to argue with him. Allison held her breath and lay rigidly, scrooging her eyes shut. 

The men's voices grew louder, as did the clumps. They were approaching the haystacks. Allison took a deep breath and tried to stop trembling. Would the soldiers search the haystacks or walk on past? 

"Shall we search these haystacks?" a man asked. 

Allison caught her breath. Would the sergeant say yes? Would the soldiers find them? 

_"Si,"_ Mendoza said. "Search them all."


	6. The Farm

Allison tightened her throat to keep her sobs from escaping. She held her breath and lay stock-still. A loud swishing sound told her that the soldiers were tearing down a nearby haystack. 

Allison suddenly remembered the many times she had hidden in just this way, during games of hide and seek with her brother. Only then, it was just a game, and the worst that would happen, if she were caught, was that she would then have to look for Todd. Now, she and Todd were playing the same game with the _alcalde_ and his men. Only this time, if they were found, terrible things would happen. 

_I'm getting awful tired of playing hide and seek with the_ alcalde _!_ Allison thought. _This isn't even fun! I'm so scared! Those soldiers'll find us; I know they will!_

The soldiers stopped. Silence ensued. Allison held her breath. What now? 

"All right, men." Mendoza's voice sounded as if he were standing next to the haystack the children were hiding in. "We'll search this one." 

_Please, God,_ Allison prayed, _help!_ She tightened every muscle in her body and clenched her fists. 

A distant explosion startled the children. Allison jerked involuntarily. "What was that?" Mendoza cried. 

_Boom!_ A pause. _Boom!_

"Sergeant! Someone's attacking us!" one of the soldiers cried. 

"Let's go!" Mendoza said. _"Vamonos!"_

Listening to the clumping of boots fade into the distance, Allison relaxed. Remembering the last time she and Todd had hidden from the soldiers, though, she decided to wait until the de la Vegas came for them before uttering a sound. As Todd had said, then, there might be a soldier nearby, waiting for them to come out of hiding. 

_At least, the hay doesn't smell bad,_ she thought. _Not like that awful trash in the church basement!_ She wrinkled her nose at the memory. 

Minutes later, she heard boots clumping again. The clumps sounded faint, then gradually grew louder. 

Someone was approaching the haystack again. Was it the de la Vegas? Or were the soldiers returning? 

"All right, children. You may come out, now." It was Don Alejandro's voice. 

Allison crawled out of the stack. Don Diego took her by the arms and helped her climb out. Air! Light! The bright glare of sunlight flooding her eyes hurt them, so she squeezed them shut. For a moment, she leaned against the _caballero_ and took deep breaths. Don Diego wrapped his arms around her, and spoke softly and soothingly. 

When Allison opened her eyes again, Todd was standing beside her, and Felipe was re-arranging the haystack. The de la Vegas picked wisps of hay off the children and laid them on the side of the haystack. 

"That was awful!" Allison shuddered. "Those horrible soldiers were going to tear all the haystacks down and look for us." 

"Well, I'm thankful they didn't." Don Alejandro wiped his face with a linen handkerchief. "I don't take kindly to soldiers bursting into my _hacienda_ and harassing innocent children who are under my protection." Pressing his lips together with evident displeasure, he folded the handkerchief and returned it to his vest pocket. 

"The soldiers are determined to find you children." Don Diego clasped Allison to his chest again, and stroked her blond hair. "When they've investigated those explosions, they may return here to finish their search. We're going to have to find you another place to stay, for the next few days." Todd froze, and Allison jerked upright. 

"Do we _have_ to?" Allison frowned. 

Don Diego nodded. "I'm afraid so, Allison." 

Don Alejandro nodded agreement. "It's only until we're satisfied that it'll be safe for you to stay here. Then we'll bring you back." He paused. "I suggest we take the children to the Gomez farm. Pablo Gomez is one of my most faithful tenants, and his wife is a kind, good woman. They will hide you if I ask them to." 

Don Diego turned to Felipe. "Saddle two of our horses. You may come with us if you want to." 

"I'll go with Felipe. Time is of the essence." Don Alejandro followed the servant boy to the stables. 

Don Diego waited until his father was out of earshot, then turned to the children. "Zorro set off those explosions to divert the soldiers," he said. "It worked, too." 

"How did you do that?" Todd gazed at him. 

"There's no time to explain." Diego glanced at his gold pocket watch, as it gleamed in the sunlight. "We must get you away from here before the soldiers return." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, children. Zorro will never let the _alcalde_ hurt you, and neither will I." He winked, and the children grinned in spite of themselves. 

"Sergeant Mendoza's nicer than the _alcalde_ ," Todd said. "When we were in jail, he and two soldiers came into our cell and played cards with us. He told us some neat stories, too. I don't think he wants to hurt us like the _alcalde_ does." 

Allison nodded. "He was real sad that we were in jail; he said so. He said he knew we weren't spies. He got some food from Miss Escalante, too, so we wouldn't have to eat that awful jail food." 

Don Diego nodded and gestured toward the stables. "Yes, Sergeant Mendoza is a good man," he agreed, as he led the way. "If it had been up to him, you would never have been accused or arrested. Unfortunately, he's under orders to arrest you on sight, and he doesn't dare to disobey those orders." 

"Hey, Don Diego, aren't we going to get our backpacks?" Todd frowned. "I don't want to leave my stuff here!" 

Don Diego shook his head. "There won't be time for that, Todd. Don't worry, I'll keep them safe. I took your things to the cave while the soldiers conducted their search; that's where they'll stay until you come back." 

Allison pouted. She didn't want to leave her toys behind. She couldn't imagine having to stay anywhere without her treasures. She could see that Todd didn't want that, either. The boy scowled, but said no more. 

Minutes later, the de la Vegas, Felipe, and the children set out toward the Gomez tenant farm. Todd rode behind Don Diego on his horse, Esperanza, and Allison rode behind Don Alejandro on Dulcinea. Felipe rode alongside on his pinto pony, Parche. 

Suddenly, after a half-hour of riding, Don Alejandro pulled Dulcinea up short. "There it is, children." He pointed ahead. "There's the Gomez farm." 

Allison shifted sideways to look around Don Alejandro's back. In the valley below, she could see an _adobe_ hut, a corn patch, a small garden, a well, and two goats grazing in the yard. A dark-brown _burro_ stood underneath a straw overhang sticking out from one side of the hut. 

Allison stared at the farm. It looked just like some of the old-timy farms she and Todd had seen on old Western movies. Never had she imagined that she would be spending any length of time on one. 

"Hey, where's the barn?" Todd asked. "I don't see a barn." 

"You don't see a barn, because it's part of the hut," Don Diego explained. "The Gomez living quarters consist of one room. The other room is used as the barn." 

"How long do we have to stay there?" Allison asked, as the horses resumed trotting. 

"Until it's safe to take you back," Don Alejandro said. "Whenever that is." 

Five minutes later, the horses halted in front of the _adobe_ hut. Two-thirds of the roof jutted up higher than the remaining one-third. The hut, Allison saw, had two doors. The door on the left stood under the higher part of the roof, and had a latch instead of a doorknob. The other door was a Dutch door; it consisted of two sections that opened separately. The straw overhang jutted out from the part of the hut that had the lower roof. 

A man wearing a faded, light-brown cotton shirt, a pair of white cotton trousers, a green woolen sash, and a pair of woven leather sandals stepped outside. His hands, Allison saw, were rough and callused, and his face was grizzled from years of working in the hot sun. 

" _Hola,_ Don Alejandro! Don Diego." The farmer waved. " _Hola,_ Felipe." 

" _Hola,_ Pablo." Don Alejandro dismounted and helped Allison climb down. Don Diego and Todd did the same thing. Felipe followed suit, then tied the horses' reins to the hitching post. 

"Who are these children?" The farmer looked at their clothes with the puzzled expression the children had come to expect from the people of this time period. 

" _Americanos,_ Pablo." Don Alejandro put his arm around Allison's shoulder. "This is Allison Bennett, and this boy is her brother, Todd. The _alcalde_ has falsely accused them of spying, and has already arrested them, once. Zorro rescued them, fortunately, but the _alcalde_ has his men out searching for them." 

"They need a safe place to stay, for a couple of days." Don Diego glanced down at Todd, then at Allison. "That's why we brought them here." 

A worried frown crossed Pablo's leathery, weather-beaten face. "Won't you come in?" 

As the children entered the hut, they looked around. The floor consisted of rows of stone tiles. The ceiling was lower than it was in the de la Vega _hacienda_ , and instead of being flat, it slanted upwards from both sides of the room and met in the middle. Rafters crisscrossed the lower edges of the ceiling. 

A fireplace spanned the wall across the room from the doorway. Two narrow bunk beds, covered with woolen blankets, were built into the right wall. A wooden plank table surrounded by benches stood in the middle of the room, and several straw mats, rolled up, leaned against the left wall. The only light came from the fireplace, and from the sunlight that poured through the open doorway. 

A baby lay gurgling in a wooden box that hung from the ceiling, and a little boy with a shock of black hair and a wiry build sat at the table. A plump woman wearing a green woolen skirt and a light-blue cotton blouse stood at the fireplace, stirring something in a huge iron pot that hung directly over the hot blaze. A rich, savory smell wafted through the room. Allison sniffed; it smelled good. 

"Pilar, the _patróns_ and their servant boy have come to see us." Pablo wiped his face with the back of his hand, then turned to the children. " _Niños,_ this is my wife, Pilar, and our son, Miguel." 

Pilar smiled at the children. "Won't you sit down?" She gestured at the table. 

" _Gracias._ We will." Don Alejandro perched on one of the benches, and Diego on another. Felipe remained standing. Miguel climbed off his bench and joined Felipe and the children. Allison smiled at him, then glanced longingly at the baby. 

For the next 15 minutes, as the Gomezes listened, the de la Vegas explained the Bennett children's predicament. Felipe, Todd, and Allison stood against the wall next to little Miguel Gomez. Allison gnawed on her fingernails as she listened. 

When the de la Vegas had finished, Pablo and Pilar sat silently for a long moment, gazing at each other. Pablo then turned around to look at the fidgeting children. Worry creased his forehead. 

Allison hung her head. _I don't think he wants us,_ she thought. _He's scared he'll get in trouble on account of us._

"The soldiers came here this morning," he said, at last. "Lookin' for these _niños_." He turned to the de la Vegas. "I don't know, _patrón_." He frowned again. "If the soldiers come back and find them here, Pilar and I'll end up in the _alcalde's_ jail." 

The woman glanced kindly at the children and laid her hand on her husband's arm. "Pablo, I think we should." She squeezed his arm. "If the _alcalde_ was after _our_ children, we'd want someone to protect them. I don't want to turn these _niños_ away. Their parents are probably worried about them." 

Don Alejandro nodded agreement. "They are, I'm sure. And they're going to be even more worried if it comes to their attention that these children are wanted for spying." He gazed at Pablo. "I'm sure the soldiers won't come here again. If they do, I know of a place near your farm where the children can hide." 

"The ravine?" Pilar asked. The aged _don_ nodded. 

Pablo glanced at the children again and nodded consent. "All right, _patrón_. We'll look after the children and keep them safe." 

The adults rose to their feet. _"Gracias, amigos,"_ Don Diego said. "We're deeply grateful to you for doing this. We'll be back in a day or two to take them back to the _hacienda_." 

Don Alejandro paused in front of the children. "Todd, Allison, I want you to stay with these people until one of us comes back to get you." He laid his hand on Todd's shoulder with one hand and cupped his other under Allison's chin. "We'll do that just as soon as it's safe. I promise." 

Todd nodded, sighing with evident reluctance. "Yes, sir." 

"Good boy." Don Alejandro smiled his approval and patted the boy's shoulder. "Look, it won't be so bad. There's another boy here to play with, and Allison, I'm sure the _señora_ will let you look after her baby." Allison smiled at the prospect. She loved babies. 

The group went back outside. The de la Vegas and Felipe mounted their horses. 

" _Adios,_ children." Don Diego waved. He, his father, and Felipe galloped away. 

"Come inside, children." Señora Gomez smiled at Todd and Allison. "Come in, and I'll make you somethin' to eat." 

As the children followed her inside, the baby started to cry. Pilar sighed. "The baby's growin' a tooth." She shook her head. "Allison, think you can calm her down for me?" 

Allison glanced at the baby. "I know I can." She smiled. "Back home, I used to babysit for Mrs. Thompson. She has two babies. Twins." 

Pilar lifted the baby out of the gently-swinging box and handed her to Allison. "Her name's Lolita. Sit down on that bench against the wall, and I'll let you hold her. She's a cute little _niña_ , no?" She smiled wryly. "When she's not cryin', that is." Todd made a face. He had no love for babies. 

Allison glanced behind her. A bench spanned the wall to the right of the doorway. She perched on the hard, unyielding wooden bench and took the baby in her arms. She welcomed this chance to hold a baby in her arms. Allison loved babies. Often, she had wished her mother would have another baby, just so Allison could help take care of it. This little _niña_ was _so_ cute! 

The baby's eyes were squeezed shut, and her face was brick-red from crying. As she bawled, she waved her arms. Todd turned away from Allison and fidgeted. 

"There, there, Lolita," Allison crooned. "That's a mean old tooth, to make you hurt like that, isn't it? It'll stop when it comes through, I promise. There, there, shh." 

She cradled the baby against her chest and rocked back and forth. Softly, she sang, "Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Daddy's going to buy you a mockingbird. When that mockingbird won't sing, Daddy's going to buy you a diamond ring." 

As Allison sang that lullaby over and over, the baby gradually calmed down. She waved her little fists in the air and gurgled. Todd scowled at his sister and the baby, then mimed rocking a baby with a mocking expression. Anger surged in Allison. She stuck out her tongue at Todd, then turned toward the _adobe_ -brick wall and ignored him. 

As Allison held Lolita in her lap and sang more lullabies, she thought about the many times she had done the same thing for Mrs. Thompson's babies, now a year old. She remembered how the twins would gurgle as they gulped down the Gerber baby formula Mrs. Thompson had mixed and heated for them...how they would burp when she held them against her shoulders afterward, patting their backs. Mrs. Thompson had taught Allison how. It was just the same way, taking care of Lolita Gomez. 

"Please, can I feed the baby?" Allison begged. 

Señora Gomez laughed. " _Amiga,_ only a mother can do that! You won't begin to make milk until then." 

Allison said no more. Apparently, mothers didn't bottle-feed their babies in 1820 as they did in 1998. 

"Besides, as soon as you and Todd have eaten, I'm going to need some help with the work. I need you to help me grind some corn for tonight's _tortillas_." Allison wrinkled her nose at the prospect. 

A few minutes later, Pilar ladled some of the savory soup into a couple of clay bowls. She set them on the plank table, poured some goat's milk into two clay cups, and set them next to the bowls. She picked up a pair of wooden spoons and set them on the table next to the bowls and cups. "Come and eat, children." 

"Yes, ma'am." Allison laid the baby in the box and joined her brother at the table. 

Pablo glanced at Todd. "Why don't you ask the blessing, _muchacho_?" 

"Yes, sir." Todd glanced at his sister, then bowed his head; Allison did the same. Next to her, Todd recited, "Thank You for the world so sweet, Thank You for the food we eat, Thank You for the birds that sing, Thank You, God, for everything." As Allison raised her head, she noticed Señor and Señora Gomez glance at each other with puzzled expressions. 

When Allison and Todd had eaten some _albondiga_ soup, Todd went outside to help Pablo and Miguel weed the corn patch. Allison stayed inside to wash the dishes. Dishwashing in 1820 was nothing like dishwashing in 1998. She had to lug a bucket out to the well, fill it, lug it back inside, and then wash the dishes using a homemade soap. She then had to wipe each bowl and spoon with a cotton cloth, and set them in the cupboard. 

When she had washed the dishes, Allison had to kneel on the cold stone floor and grind some corn kernels that Pilar had soaked in limewater. Since she had never ground corn before, Señora Gomez had to show her how. It was hard work, rolling a stone _metate_ back and forth over the soft kernels. Repeatedly, Allison stopped to wipe her face and catch her breath. Her knees felt sore from bearing her weight on those hard, rough tiles for so long, and her legs felt numb. 

"I'll take over, _hija_." Señora Gomez touched Allison's shoulder. "You've done a good job. You can go outside and play, now." 

Allison tried to stand up, but her legs felt too numb. Pilar helped her to her feet. _How does Mrs. Gomez do this stuff?_ she thought, as she staggered toward the door. _It's so hard! I hope Don Diego comes for us, soon!_

Sighing, Allison stepped outside, and Todd trudged toward her. "Mr. Gomez made Miguel and me help him pull weeds." He sighed and leaned against the wall. "I'm so tired! My feet hurt." He winced as he spoke. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. "I'm used to doing chores, but not like this!" 

"Yeah, me, neither. I'm tired, too." Allison wiped her face. "I had to kneel on the floor and grind corn. For _tortillas_ , Mrs. Gomez said. It sure was hard work! My knees hurt." She rubbed her knees. "I'm glad _I'm_ not a farmer!" 

"Me, too! It's too much work." Todd shook his head and grimaced. "Miguel and I will have to do chores tonight, also! I have to help him muck out that place where the _burro_ stays. And groom the _burro_ , and feed it. We have to feed and milk the stupid goats, too. And chop some wood." He sighed. 

Allison bent over to rub her legs again. She raised her left leg, then her right. "At least it was fun to take care of Lolita." She smiled wanly. "She's so cute." 

"Well, you can have her! I _hate_ babies." Todd scowled. "Come on, let's see what's inside the barn." 

"I'll show you! Come with me." Miguel pointed at the wooden Dutch door near the right side of the hut. 

The children followed him through that door and stopped to look around. Like the living quarters, the barn had a triangular roof and rafters that spanned it. The barn roof was even lower, Allison saw, than it was in the rest of the hut. Unlike the living quarters, though, the barn had a hard-packed dirt floor. Piles of hay lay scattered on the floor. 

Baskets hung from nails on the _adobe_ -brick walls. A pitchfork leaned against a corner. A woolen blanket lay folded on top of a crate. 

"This is where the goats sleep at night," Miguel explained. "The rest of the time, they stay outside. When it rains, they stay in the barn and eat hay. Papá keeps them so we can have milk." He rubbed his fingers over the blanket. "Come on, I'll show you the _burro_." 

He led the way outside, and approached the left end of the barn. The small, dark-brown _burro_ raised its head and gazed at the children as they approached. 

"What's his name?" Allison stroked the _burro's_ nose. "Is it a boy or a girl? Do you ride him?" 

"No, Papá won't let me. It's a boy." Miguel patted the donkey's back while Todd rubbed its withers. "His name's Diablo, 'cause sometimes he acts like a devil. Especially when Papá tries to hitch him to the plow. Then he has to beat Diablo with a stick." 

Allison winced. She didn't like to see even animals suffer pain. A sudden _baaa!_ startled her. 

Miguel glanced at her. "That's just the she-goat," he said. "She wants someone to pet her." He turned to Todd. "Want to play?" 

Todd grinned. "Sure would! Let's play tag." 

Allison shook her head. "I'm too tired to play tag. I'd rather play with the goats." 

Until choretime, Todd and Miguel played game after game. Allison played with the goats and explored the farm. That evening, the boys did their chores in the barn and in the _burro's_ stall. Allison stirred the _albondiga_ soup for Señora Gomez and set the table while Pilar fried some _tortillas_. 

When suppertime came, the Gomezes and their guests ate some more _albondiga_ soup and some _tortillas_ for supper. They drank their milk in clay cups, as the children had done that afternoon. 

After supper, the group knelt on the floor. While Todd and Allison listened, the Gomezes took turns praying with their rosaries. "Hail, Mary, full of grace, pray for us now, and at the hour of our death," Pilar prayed. 

Silently, Allison prayed directly to God Himself. _Please, God, don't let the_ alcalde _find us,_ she prayed. _Please keep us safe. Please help us get back to 1998. And please keep the Gomezes safe. Don't let them get in trouble on account of us. And please make Mom well. In Jesus' name, amen._

Minutes later, the prayer time ended. "Where's the Bible?" Todd asked. 

The adult Gomezes looked at each other, puzzled. "Bible?" Pablo asked. 

"Yeah." Todd shifted position. "When our family prays at night, our dad reads the Bible, and then we pray." 

"We can't read, _hijo_." Señora Gomez sighed. "Even if we could, we can't afford a Bible." 

"Didn't you go to school?" Allison frowned. 

Señor Gomez shook his head. "There wasn't time or money, little one. I was needed on the farm. And so is Miguel, here." 

"Doesn't Miguel go to school?" Todd asked. 

Pablo snorted. "What's the use?" He shook his head. "Since when do we need to read and write, to run a farm? Besides, Miguel's needed here, to do his chores. He don't need no book learnin'." 

Todd and Allison frowned at each other. Allison remembered Don Diego's words, when he had told them about education here. _He said most peasants never learn to read,_ she thought. _That's awful!_

"I don't want to go to no school, anyway," Miguel piped up. "I rather stay here and help Papá." 

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Allison gazed at the blazing, crackling fire, then at the dancing shadows it made on the walls. 

"It's so cozy," she finally said. "Look at that fireplace. It feels so nice, you know? It's awful chilly outside." 

" _Si._ It is." Pablo smiled as he leaned against the wall. "Cold outside and cozy in here." 

Señora Gomez stood up. "Bedtime, children. Miguel, you and Todd will have to share a mat, so Allison can have one." 

The children unrolled the sleeping mats. Allison lay down on hers. Pilar laid a wool blanket over her and another over the boys. Silently, Allison said her bedtime prayers. 

Allison winced as pieces of straw dug into her face. She could feel other pieces pressing against her jumper. The boys had removed their clothes and put on nightshirts, but Pilar had no nightgown or pajamas for Allison to wear. 

_Wish I had a pillow,_ she thought, as she shifted her head from side to side. _This mat is awful uncomfortable!_

To her amazement, before she had a chance to complain further, she was opening her eyes. Early-morning sunlight was pouring through the open doorway. 

"Time to get up, Allison." Señora Gomez bent over and shook the little girl's shoulder. "We've got lots of work to do." 

Allison sighed at the prospect and rose to her feet. Was the _señora_ going to make her work all day? 

All morning, she helped Pilar grind corn and clean the house. She and Todd took a _siesta_ with the Gomezes after lunch. When their nap was over, they were free to play until choretime. Then, while Todd helped Pablo and Miguel feed the goats and the _burro_ , milk the she-goat, groom the _burro_ , and muck his outdoor stall, Allison helped Señora Gomez prepare supper. 

After supper, the group assembled again for prayer. After prayer came bedtime. 

"We've been here for four days," Todd whispered to Allison, as the children scrambled to their feet. "If we don't get back soon, it's going to real hard on our folks. Did you pray for Mom and Dad?" 

Allison nodded. "Especially Mom, 'cause she's so sick. I prayed for Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice, too. They're all so worried about us, I know they are!" 

"Bedtime, children." Señora Gomez stood next to Todd. 

"Yes, ma'am." Todd turned to help Miguel fetch a sleeping mat. 

The next morning, Allison was not quite so busy. Pilar washed the family's clothes that morning, as well as Todd's and Allison's. The children had to wear nightclothes while their own clothes were being washed, so they couldn't do any chores, much to their relief. Nor could they go out and play, which displeased them both. They had to stay inside and out of Pilar's way. 

Allison spent the morning playing with Lolita. Todd sat on the lower bunk and scowled at the floor. 

Much to the children's relief, their clothes were ready to wear before lunchtime. Allison had to grind corn for that day's lunch. To her relief, Señora Gomez took turns with her, which made the job easier on Allison. 

Caballeros _and peasants sure live different,_ Allison thought, as she rose to her feet for the last time. _Farmers have to work all the time, and they don't have much._ Caballeros _don't have to work at all; they have servants and ranchhands to do it for them. They have pretty houses and lots of nice things._ With a sigh, she wiped her sweaty forehead and trudged outside to find her brother and Miguel. To her relief, they had just finished weeding the cornpatch and were free to play. 

After lunch, the family and houseguests lay down for _siesta_. As Allison closed her eyes, Miguel, who had stayed outside, rushed into the hut. "Mamá! Papá! There's some soldiers comin'!" he cried. 

The grown-ups and the Bennett children jumped to their feet. "Miguel, take Todd and Allison to the ravine," Pablo ordered. "And stay there with them! Stay there, all three of you, until my wife or I say you can come out." 

The children rushed outside. Miguel led the way as they rushed toward the ravine. Allison climbed down after Todd. Miguel followed Allison. 

The children lay quietly among the bushes. Allison hardly dared to breathe, she was so scared. Had the soldiers found out she and Todd were staying with the Gomezes? 

"Señor Gomez, it is my unpleasant duty to put you under arrest," Mendoza said. Allison froze at the news. 

"Why?" Gomez's voice shook. 

"For failure to pay your cattle tax." 

"But, sergeant, I don't have _no_ cattle!" Gomez protested. 

"I'm sorry, _señor_." Mendoza's voice sounded sad. "But orders are orders. I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with us." 

Allison froze, outraged. That _alcalde_ was horrible! How mean of him to make a farmer who was poor pay taxes for cattle he didn't even have! 

"Take good care of our son, Pilar," Pablo said. 

"I will, Pablo. Sergeant, _por favor,_ be easy on my husband." 

" _Señora,_ I don't want to do this." The sergeant paused. "Believe me when I say I'm only following orders." 

Hoofbeats faded into the distance. Silence ensued. A few minutes later, Señora Gomez leaned over the ravine. "You can come out now, children. They're gone." 

The children climbed out of the ravine. "Is Papá arrested?" Miguel's voice quivered. 

" _Si,_ my son." Señora Gomez sighed and hugged him tightly. "Maybe Zorro will save him. We will pray that he does." Todd and Allison glanced at each other as the woman spoke, her voice shaking. Deep pain etched her careworn face. 

"We'll go back to the de la Vega _hacienda_ and tell Don Diego and Don Alejandro," Todd promised. 

Pilar let go of Miguel. "No, you will not!" Her voice was stern. "You will stay here until the de la Vegas come for you." 

"Please?" Todd begged. "Please let us go tell them?" 

"We'll be careful," Allison protested. "If the soldiers come, we'll hide in the bushes or somewhere. Someone's _gotta_ tell Don Alejandro!" 

"And we will, _muchacha_. We will, indeed." Pilar squeezed her shoulder. "But we must wait till the _patróns_ come for you. If you go now and the soldiers see you, you'll end up in jail, too, with my husband. I'm not goin' to let that happen." 

"Let what happen?" The children and Pilar whirled around, startled. Don Diego rode toward them and climbed down off Esperanza. 

The three children rushed toward them and all spoke at once, trying to tell him what had happened. Don Diego held his hand up, to calm them. "All right, now, one at a time! Todd, what happened?" 

"Sergeant Mendoza came here and arrested Mr. Gomez for not paying a cattle tax!" Todd clenched his fists as he spoke. "We hid in the ravine when they came." 

"My papá doesn't have no cattle, _señor_." Miguel bit his lower lip. " _Por favor,_ can you help him, _patrón_?" 

"We will certainly try, Miguel." Don Diego rubbed the side of his head. "When I get Todd and Allison home, I will tell my father. You have my promise." He turned to Todd and Allison. "I brought an extra horse, Allison, so you could ride. I'll hold the reins, and you hold the saddlehorn. Todd, you may ride behind me on Esperanza." 

The Bennett children hugged Señora Gomez and Miguel good-bye, then followed Don Diego. Allison climbed on the pony Diego had brought for her, then Todd climbed up behind the _caballero_ on his horse. Don Diego led Allison's horse as he walked his own. When they arrived at the _hacienda_ , a groom took the horses' reins. 

Don Diego led the way inside. He found his father and Felipe in the drawing room and told Don Alejandro what had happened. Don Alejandro pressed his lips into a tight line. 

"I'll go have a talk with the _alcalde_ ," he said. "You coming?" 

Don Diego shook his head. "No, Father. Someone needs to stay with Todd and Allison, in case the soldiers come back." 

Don Alejandro nodded. "You're right, son. Stay in the house, children, until I return." He left. 

Don Diego led the way into the cave. "Saddle Toronado," he ordered Felipe. 

"What are you going to do, Don Diego?" Allison asked. 

The _caballero_ unbuttoned his ruffled, snow-white linen shirt. "Try to rescue Pablo Gomez." He nodded toward his polished mahogany desk. "Your things are on my desk, children." 

Todd and Allison turned toward the desk. Sure enough, their backpacks lay side by side on it. 

When Don Diego had donned his black costume, he gazed at the children. "I want you to stay right here in the cave until I return, all right?" he said. "It's for your own safety. Felipe, I want you to stay with them and keep them company." Felipe nodded. 

Zorro mounted Toronado and left the cave. For the next hour, Felipe and the children did their best to keep busy. As Allison dusted the science equipment, Todd and Felipe swept the floors. Then the boys played a card game, while Allison read her _Babysitters Club_ book. 

"I'm worried," Todd finally said. "It's daylight now; what if the soldiers see Zorro? How will he get away? How will he get Mr. Gomez away?" 

Felipe made some signs as the children watched. "He's done it before?" Todd asked. Felipe nodded and made some more signs. "He's learned some tricks to divert the soldiers?" Felipe nodded again. 

The sound of a _clip! clop!_ startled the children and Felipe. Allison whirled around as Toronado trotted into his stall. She held her breath. Had Zorro rescued Pablo Gomez?


	7. I Spy

As Felipe took the reins, the masked man jumped down. "Pablo is safe," he announced. 

Allison leaned against the wall, weak with relief. She exhaled a long, slow breath. Todd and Felipe grinned broadly. 

"The _alcalde_ was going to hang him and several other farmers," Zorro explained, as he took off his hat and untied his mask. "Fortunately, Zorro was able to persuade him to change his mind, and to let them go free. My father paid the cattle tax for every farmer, so the _alcalde_ has no excuse to arrest them, now. Furthermore, he's rescinded that tax." 

"I'm so glad," Todd said. Felipe and Allison nodded agreement. 

When Don Diego had changed clothes, the children grabbed their backpacks and followed Diego and Felipe into the library. "I wish you could have a good _alcalde_ ," Allison said. 

Don Diego sighed. "I wish we could, too." He glanced back at the cave. "I hope and pray that, one day, we will. For the sake of the poor farmers, especially; they suffer the most when the _alcalde_ levies a new tax. Their lives are hard enough without that." Silently, Allison agreed. She and Todd had seen for themselves how hard a farmer's life was. 

The front door clicked open and slammed shut. Don Alejandro shouted, "Diego!" 

"In the library, Father!" Don Diego called out. 

Don Alejandro stormed into the room, his face frozen with outrage. "The nerve of the _alcalde_!" He shook his fist. "No sooner did he rescind the cattle tax then he ordered the rest of the mission Indians taken as slave labor! Even the _children_!" A vein pulsated in his neck. "He says he's going to show this _pueblo_ who's in charge, one way or another." 

Don Diego, Felipe, and the children stared at him in shock. "Do you have any idea where the soldiers have taken them?" Don Diego asked. 

Don Alejandro shook his head, his lips pursed into a hard line. "No one does. The _alcalde_ has hidden them to prevent Zorro from finding them. He was furious at Zorro for freeing the farmers and forcing him to rescind the cattle tax--that's why he did it." 

A heavy silence reigned for a few minutes. No one spoke. 

Don Alejandro looked at Todd and Allison. "And that's not all. The _alcalde_ is still determined to find the _americano_ children. If I were you, Diego, I'd disguise Todd and Allison so the _alcalde_ and his soldiers won't recognize them. As long as they wear those clothes, they're in mortal danger of being spotted and recognized." 

Don Diego looked at Todd and Allison, and nodded. "I will, Father." 

Don Alejandro stormed out of the library. Don Diego looked grim. "Zorro is going to find and rescue the mission Indians." 

Todd scowled and clenched his fists. Allison curled her hands into tight balls. She felt so angry. The _alcalde_ was the meanest man in the whole world! 

"Poor Rosita!" Allison moaned. "Poor Elena!" She sighed. "I played with them, just three days ago. Why did the _alcalde_ have to take them?" In response, Don Diego patted her shoulder and sighed. 

"Is Don Alejandro always so concerned?" Todd asked. 

Don Diego nodded. "My father cares about people." 

"You do, too, don't you?" Todd asked. "You and Don Alejandro sure are good. You're so kind." 

Don Diego smiled and squeezed Todd's shoulder. _"Gracias, amigo."_

"What does _'gracias, amigo'_ mean?" Allison tilted her head. 

"It means 'thank you, friend.'" 

Allison nodded. "Can we help, Don Diego?" 

Don Diego gazed at her, then at Todd. "Zorro also means to keep you children safe from the _alcalde_. That's my first priority." 

"The _alcalde_ can't find us if you disguise us," Todd said. "I want to help, too." 

"I want to help Elena and Rosita," Allison said. 

Todd frowned. "Why is the _alcalde_ so mean? Why does he _want_ to hurt people?" 

Don Diego sighed. "The _alcalde_ wants two things more than anything else: money and power. He wants to have all the nice things money can buy, and he wants complete, total control of everyone in the _pueblo_. He has no scruples about inflicting harm on innocent people if he can achieve his goals by doing so. Whether it means taxing the poor farmers into complete destitution, or enslaving Indians." 

"How can we stop him?" Allison ran her fingers through her hair. 

Don Diego ruffled her hair. "The first thing to do is to find out where the _alcalde's_ keeping the mission Indians. Felipe and I must make a trip into town to do that." 

"Can we go, too?" Todd asked. 

Don Diego paused to think. "I don't really think it's safe to take you to town," he said. "But if the _alcalde_ sends the soldiers out to search the _haciendas_ for you again, neither will it be safe to leave you alone here." He paused to think some more. 

"All right," he said, at last. "But we're going to have to disguise you, first. If the _alcalde_ or his soldiers recognize you children, you'll be arrested and thrown back into jail. Felipe, I want you to borrow some clothes from the other servants for Todd and Allison." 

Felipe nodded and left the room. "What are we going to wear?" Allison asked. 

"You're going to dress as the children at the mission do." Don Diego frowned and leaned toward her. "Allison, what is _that_ you're wearing on the side of your head?" 

"This?" Allison reached up and fingered her hair clip. "It's a barrette. A hair clip." 

"Well, give it to me, for now. Nobody else here wears such things. And while you're at it, give me your timepiece and necklace." Allison removed her Mickey Mouse watch and her necklace, unfastened her barrette, and gave them to Don Diego. 

Felipe returned with some peasant outfits. Don Diego took the children to a couple of guestrooms. In one of them, Allison laid her backpack on the bed, then put on a dress that consisted of a blue cotton blouse and a bright-red woolen skirt. She slipped a pair of woven leather sandals onto her feet and draped a yellow woolen shawl around her shoulders. 

She unzipped her backpack and removed the doll Padre Benitez had given her, then stepped out into the hallway. A minute later, Todd joined her. He had on a soft white cotton shirt, a pair of white cotton trousers, a light-brown woolen sash, a pair of sandals, a dark-brown _poncho_ , and a light-brown straw _sombrero_. He held his Walkman in his right hand. 

Don Diego smiled at the Walkman and shook his head. "Todd, I'm not sure I should let you take that contraption to town. No one in Los Angeles has ever seen one of those things." 

"I'm not taking it to show people," Todd said. "I'm taking it to help Felipe spy on the _alcalde_. This is a Walkman tape recorder, and it records sounds. Listen!" 

He pressed the play button, and said, "Hi, Don Diego." 

" _Hola,_ Todd," Don Diego replied. 

Todd pushed the stop button and rewound the tape. He pushed the play button again. Todd's voice said, "Hi, Don Diego." 

" _Hola,_ Todd," Don Diego's voice answered. 

Don Diego and Felipe gaped at the Walkman. "Well," Don Diego finally said, "your age is destined to be filled with marvels; that, I can see. If you'll keep the Walkman well-hidden under your _poncho_ , we'll see what use we can put it to." 

He glanced at his shiny gold pocket watch. "Now, it's time to go. Felipe, get the carriage and meet us out in front." 

Minutes later, Don Diego, Felipe, and the children were on their way to Los Angeles. 

"It's been almost six days," Allison said. "What if we _never_ get back?" She squirmed at the thought. 

Don Diego put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's not borrow trouble, all right?" he advised her. "Let's just concentrate on the work that lies ahead. When the weather conditions are right, Felipe and I will take you back to the time cave. That's a promise." 

"What day is it?" Todd squirmed. 

"Friday. June 19." 

When the carriage pulled up in front of the tavern, Don Diego said, "Children, Felipe, stay in the carriage till I return." He climbed out of the carriage and entered the tavern. A moment later, he returned to the carriage. 

"I've told Señorita Escalante you're here, and she's agreed to keep your secret." Don Diego opened the carriage door, and the children stepped out. "Felipe, you go to the _alcalde's_ office and see what you can find out. The children and I will wait for you in the tavern." 

"Wait! Here's my Walkman." Todd handed Felipe the cassette recorder and turned to Don Diego. "Can I go with him?" 

Don Diego shook his head. "That would be too dangerous, Todd. The soldiers would probably recognize you if they saw you up close. You've already helped a great deal, loaning Felipe your Walkman. You stay with Allison and me." 

Don Diego took the children inside. Victoria took them to a table in the back corner. "Lemonade for Felipe, the children, and myself," Don Diego said. Victoria nodded and winked at the children. 

While Don Diego and the children waited for Felipe, they drank their cold lemonade. Don Diego sipped his, and the children took bigger gulps. As they did, Todd and Allison looked around. A flight of wooden stairs led to the second floor, which consisted of a fenced-in ledge. Doors lined the wall on the other side of the ledge. On the right wall on the first floor stood a doorway over which a blanket hung, and a bar. 

Gentlemen and peasants sat everywhere, eating, drinking, and talking. Two _caballeros_ sat at one table, playing chess; four others sat at another table, playing a card game. Two waitresses moved from table to table, serving drinks and food. 

"This tavern is also used as an inn," Don Diego explained. "Travelers sleep in those rooms upstairs." 

Before long, Felipe joined Don Diego and the children. "Did you get the information we need?" Don Diego asked him in a low voice. He nodded. 

"Good. Have a glass of lemonade, then we'll return to the _hacienda_." 

A half-hour later, back at the _hacienda_ , Felipe played the cassette for Don Diego and the children. "Sergeant Mendoza, you go back to Red Rock Canyon and make sure the Indians stay there," the _alcalde's_ hard voice said. " _No_ Indian is to leave until I have the new copper mine dug. I'm putting you in personal charge until further notice." 

_"Si, mi alcalde,"_ Sergeant Mendoza's voice answered. "What about the children?" 

"The women and children will serve as water carriers and lug away the mounds of dirt the men dig up. _Any_ Indian who slacks on the job is to be flogged!" 

_"Si, mi alcalde."_ The sergeant sounded sad. 

"How _dare_ Zorro interfere with my cattle tax?" The _alcalde_ sounded furious. "Who's in charge of this _pueblo_ , anyway--that masked bandit or me?! Well, _I_ am, and it's _high_ time he understood that! That fox has interfered with me for the last time! Until further notice, _every_ mission Indian will work for me, not the _padre_!" 

Felipe turned off the cassette recorder and handed it to Todd. With a sigh, Don Diego trudged toward the library and gazed out the window. 

"Red Rock Canyon adjoins the one Zorro's cave is located in," he said, at last. 

"What's 'adjoin'?" Allison tilted her head. 

"It means, the canyon is next to ours." Don Diego frowned and shook his head. "And I wish it wasn't; it's much too close for comfort. Unless we can come up with a diversion, chances are the soldiers will track Zorro back to his cave." He sighed. "Somehow, I must rescue the mission Indians, lure the soldiers in the opposite direction, and still make it back to the cave." 

He turned back to the children. " _Amigos,_ will you do me a favor? Bring your backpacks to the cave and empty them out. I want to see your contraptions." 

The children darted to the guestrooms and snatched their backpacks. A few minutes later, as Don Diego and Felipe watched, Todd and Allison laid their backpacks on the desk in the lab, unzipped them, and removed their toys, one by one. Felipe picked up each toy and gazed at it, open-mouthed. 

As the children held up their toys, they described their functions. "This is my popgun," Todd explained. "It's just a toy gun, but it makes a loud noise." He pulled the trigger; a loud _pop!_ made Felipe jump. Don Diego automatically took a step back, then chuckled. 

"This is a walkie-talkie." Allison held hers up. "Todd has one just like it." 

Todd took out his walkie-talkie, then he and Allison switched them on. "Go in the tunnel, Allison," he directed. 

Allison raced to the secret passage, and darted around the corner into the tunnel. She leaned against the cold, bumpy cave wall and held her walkie-talkie up to her mouth. "Todd, where are you?" she asked. 

"I'm right here with Don Diego." Todd's voice came out of the walkie-talkie. "Felipe's got his mouth wide open!" Allison giggled. 

She switched her walkie-talkie off and returned to the lab. "Watch this!" As Don Diego and Felipe gazed over her shoulder, Allison removed her CD player and inserted a compact disc. She handed the player to Don Diego and slipped the headphones over his head. She pressed the _play_ button. 

For the next five minutes, Don Diego listened to the music, a stunned expression on his face. He then handed the headphones to Felipe, who listened, open-mouthed. 

At last, Felipe handed the CD player back to Allison, who turned it off and slipped it into her backpack. Don Diego shook his head. "Your age will certainly have some most interesting marvels. I feel privileged to have been given a foretaste of some of them." He gazed at Felipe, who nodded agreement. "And what is that book, Allison?" 

_"The Babysitters' Club. Kristy's Great Idea."_ Allison grinned. "It's a neat book. I love it!" 

"And what's it about?" 

"It's about these girls who like to babysit," Allison explained. "They get together and form this club, so if anyone wants a babysitter, they can call them--on a phone--and get one." 

"That's just stupid girl stuff," Todd scoffed. "See what _I've_ got, Felipe! Don Diego!" 

Todd handed Felipe his _Batman and Robin_ comic books. For the next several minutes, as Todd watched, Don Diego and Felipe read them carefully. Frequently, they paused to ask Todd to explain some word or action they couldn't comprehend. Todd did his best to explain in terms they would understand. 

"I wish I had my video," Todd said, at one point. He shook his head. "We wouldn't be able to watch it here--not without a TV and VCR--but I could show you how Batman and Robin look on the show." 

At last, Felipe handed the comic books back to Todd, who stuffed them into his backpack. "Your comic books are most interesting, _amigo,_ but unfortunately, they are no use to Zorro." Don Diego sighed. "We have neither the knowledge nor the gadgets your Batman has access to, nor do we know how to use the devices in your backpacks. If Zorro is to rescue the mission Indians, he must rely on the knowledge and devices he already has." 

He paused to think. Felipe rubbed his left arm and fidgeted. Allison leaned against the desk; Todd pressed his finger on the desk and rubbed it. 

"Hey, _I_ know how we can divert the soldiers!" Todd hopped on one foot. 

"You have an idea?" Don Diego sat down at one of the long tables. 

Todd grinned. "You don't have that knowledge, but _I_ do! A little, anyway. We _will_ use the stuff Allison and I brought. We'll use them for you and Felipe, Allison and me; _we_ know how." 

He began to outline a plan. Allison, Don Diego, and Felipe listened attentively as he spoke. 

When the group had formed and refined the plan, Don Diego led the way into the library. The children lugged their backpacks back to their rooms. Don Diego and Felipe then took the children on a tour of the ranch and introduced them to some of the ranch hands. 

At one point, Don Diego and Felipe gave the children horseback rides. They led the horses' reins while the children clutched the saddlehorns. Then the children and Felipe went to Felipe's room and played with his toys. All the while, Todd hoped they could find and rescue the mission Indians. 

That evening, following supper--which the de la Vegas called dinner—they met with their servants in the family chapel for evening devotions. Don Alejandro read aloud 1 Corinthians 13, first in Spanish and then in English, so the children could understand. The aged _don_ then led the household in praying the rosary. Todd and Allison silently prayed directly to God. 

After devotions, Don Diego gave Todd a chess lesson in the library. Todd, who had never played chess before, listened attentively as Don Diego explained to him some basic chess moves. 

In the drawing room, Don Alejandro held Allison in his lap and told her a story about an event of his boyhood. As Todd awaited his turns at the chessboard, he half-listened to the story. 

Suddenly, Felipe entered the library with a light-brown Chihuahua puppy wriggling in his arms. "0hhh!" Todd cried, sitting up straight. "A _puppy_!" 

Don Alejandro and Allison entered the library as Felipe pointed at the puppy, then at Todd and Allison. 

Don Diego smiled. "I have no objection to your giving the puppy to the children, Felipe. Along with the toys the _padre_ gave them, the puppy will make a nice souvenir of their stay here." 

Felipe handed the squirming puppy to Allison, who cuddled it against her chest. She then held it above her head for a second. "It's a girl." She giggled as the puppy licked her cheek. "How old is she?" 

"The puppy is six weeks old," Don Alejandro told her. He hugged Allison to his side, chucked the puppy under the chin, and smiled at Todd. "You are fine children, and I'm so glad we've gotten to know you. I'm certainly going to miss you when you go." Todd and Allison grinned at him. 

Don Diego glanced at his pocket watch. "All right, children, we've got much to do in the morning, so I want you to get a good night's sleep, now. You, too, Felipe." 

"Yes, sir." Todd stood up. "Good night, Don Diego. Good night, Don Alejandro. Good night, Felipe." 

The de la Vegas hugged the children good-night, and Don Diego kissed Allison on the forehead. "Will you tuck me in and hear my prayers?" Allison asked. 

Don Diego smiled at her. "Certainly." 

"I'll hear Todd and Felipe's prayers." Don Alejandro laid his hand on Todd's shoulder and led him toward his guestroom. Felipe trotted on ahead toward his own room. 

After Todd had put on a white cotton nightshirt and had said his bedtime prayers, Don Alejandro hugged him good night again, and left the room. Todd hugged the puppy, which licked Todd on the face. "We're going to help the Indians," Todd whispered. "And then we're going back to 1998. And you're going with us." The puppy licked Todd's chin in response. 

Todd wiggled onto his back. For a while, as he snuggled between the shiny, smooth, snow-white silk sheets, he thought about the events of the last few days. He thought about the fear Allison had expressed of being stuck in 1820 forever. 

The puppy licked Todd's right cheek. Todd smiled and hugged her. _Nice puppy!_ He thought. 

A moment later, Todd frowned. "What if Allison's right?" he whispered to the puppy. "What if we can never go back? And what if the _alcalde_ finds us?" A knot formed in Todd's stomach at the thought. As if to comfort him, the puppy licked Todd's cheek again. 

Todd thought back to the moment his dad had said good-bye to him and Allison at the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. Allison had snuffled as her father held her tightly. Todd had not been far from tears, himself... 

_"I don't want to go! I don't want to go!" Allison clung to her father, as tears streamed down her face. "What if we never see Mom again? What if she dies?"_

Her father knelt in front of her and wiped the tears off her face. "Sweetie, listen to me. Both of you." Mr. Bennett cleared his throat. "Your mom is going to be just fine _! She needs to rest in the hospital so she can get better, that's all. And you two need to stay with someone who can take care of you while I take of your mother."_

He hugged Allison tightly and ruffled Todd's light-brown bangs, just as their flight was announced over the intercom. "Time to go. Mustn't keep Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted waiting."... 

Todd shivered as he remembered that moment. He pulled up the bright-blue satin bedspread up around his chin. What if he and Allison never did see their mother _or_ their father again, as Allison had feared? Or Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted, either? What if the children were stuck in the 1800s forever? Their folks would be so worried about them; their grief might make them sick!


	8. Mission: Diversion

Todd felt a hand gently shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, _amigo,_ " Don Diego said. "It's time." 

Todd yawned and stretched. He rubbed his eyes. "I'm sleepy," he muttered. 

"I know," Don Diego said. "But we must have everything ready _before_ the sun rises. Felipe is already in the cave, waiting for you and Allison." 

Todd yawned again and sat up. He shoved the bedcovers toward his knees. "I gotta get dressed," he murmured. 

Don Diego nodded. "I'll wait for you in the cave." He left the room. 

Todd put on the blue jeans, white sneakers, and light-blue T-shirt he had worn when he and Allison were first transported back to 1820. Since the de la Vega laundress had washed and ironed them the day before, they smelled clean and fresh. He combed his hair. He checked his backpack to make sure it had everything, then slung it onto his shoulders. He snatched the puppy and carried her out. 

Todd joined Allison in the hall. She had put on her blue plaid jumper, her pink T-shirt, her yellow sneakers, her Mickey Mouse watch, her imitation pearl necklace, and her barrette. "I want to sleep with the puppy tonight," Allison said. " _You_ got to sleep with her, last night!" She pouted. 

Todd shrugged. "OK. Come on; Don Diego's waiting." 

The children hurried to Zorro's cave, where they found Don Diego tying the mask on his face. Felipe was saddling Toronado. He glanced at the children and smiled a greeting. 

Zorro glanced at the puppy and shook his head. "Todd, I want you to leave the puppy in here. She'll be in the way if you take her with you." 

"No, Zorro!" Todd begged. "I want to take her! If the weather conditions are right, we can't waste even a second! I'll keep her quiet, I promise!" 

Zorro stood gazing at him and said nothing. 

"Please, Don Diego, can we take the puppy?" Allison begged. "Please, please? _Pretty_ please?" 

Zorro smiled, but not in consent. "In Spanish, Allison, we say _'por favor.'_ " 

" _Por favor,_ then?" 

Zorro shook his head; though understanding, his voice was also firm. "The puppy might bark, and then we would be discovered. You'll have to leave her here until we return." 

Todd felt frustrated. He pursed his lips and turned his back on Zorro. He and Allison just _had_ to take the puppy along! Suppose this was the morning to return to 1998? How could Zorro order them to risk losing the puppy like this? 

As Todd glared rebelliously at the floor, he saw a long strip of black silk lying at his feet. He glanced furtively at Zorro; he was in the secret passage, giving Felipe some instructions. 

Slowly, so as to avoid attracting attention, Todd bent over, picked up the strip of cloth, and muzzled the puppy's jaws with it. He unzipped his backpack, gently laid the puppy in it, held his index finger to his lips, and zipped the backpack. The stone floor felt cold to his hands as he pressed them on the floor to balance himself. 

He slung the backpack on his shoulders and joined Zorro and Felipe. Zorro turned around and smiled at him. "Are you ready, Todd?" Todd nodded. "Good. Allison, let's go! We're ready." 

"Coming!" Allison darted into the tunnel. 

"Will there be room for us all?" Todd pointed at Toronado. 

Zorro chuckled. "That won't be necessary. Red Rock Canyon isn't far from here at all. Felipe will walk with you children, and I'll ride Toronado. Do you children have the gadgets ready?" 

The children nodded. Todd held up his Walkman and walkie-talkie; Allison held up hers. 

"Good. Let's go, then." 

Zorro led the way out of the secret passage into the canyon. As Felipe and the children followed him on foot, Todd hoped that Zorro wouldn't notice the extra, wiggling bulge in his backpack. 

The sky in the east slowly lightened. Dawn was not far away. Minutes after leaving the passage, Zorro stopped Toronado. Felipe raised his hand to stop Todd and Allison. 

Zorro dismounted and approached Felipe and the children. "Zorro, look!" Todd whispered. "Look, Felipe! Look at the sky! It's just like it was when we first came here. To 1820!" 

Zorro and Felipe glanced at the sky, and Zorro nodded. The sky had the same brassy appearance it had had when the children were transported to 1820. 

"Indeed it is," Zorro whispered back. "Do you wish to go to the cave, now?" 

Todd and Allison looked at each other and shook their heads. "We want to help you, first," Allison said. 

Zorro nodded. "We must work fast, then, if we're to get you children to the time cave before the weather conditions dissipate. Todd, Allison, you stay right here where the soldiers can't see you. Felipe will set up the diversion on the ridge. Make sure the soldiers can't see you, Felipe." 

Felipe nodded. Todd handed Felipe his walkie-talkie; Felipe disappeared. Zorro looked at the children and put a finger to his lips, then led Toronado away. 

Todd and Allison crouched behind the rocks. "Zorro and Felipe sure are brave," whispered Todd. 

"I hope your plan works," Allison whispered back. "We've just got to help Rosita and Elena!" 

As Zorro left, the scene up ahead came into view; at the same time, the sun rose over the horizon. The Indian men were digging a hole in the ground with picks and shovels. The Indian women and children carried away the mounds of dirt in buckets hanging from yokes they wore on their necks. Some toted water jars, and held them to the lips of thirsty diggers. 

Soldiers stood guard over the Indians, armed with rifles and whips. Again and again, some of the soldiers slashed a slow Indian in the back, shouting at him to hurry. 

"Those poor Indians!" Allison whispered fiercely. "How could those soldiers be so mean to them!" She stuck out her tongue at the soldiers. 

Todd nodded. "It's all the _alcalde's_ fault. He's the one who's _really_ mean!" 

"Where's Rosita and Elena? I can't see them." 

Todd held his finger over his lips. "Shh! If the soldiers find us, we'll go back to jail." Allison nodded. 

Todd laid down his Walkman on the boulder before him and clutched Allison's walkie-talkie. As the children waited, the sun slowly rose above the horizon; the sky gradually lightened further, though it still looked brassy. The breeze whispered as it brushed Todd's cheeks and ruffled his bangs. Todd yawned and rubbed his eyes. _I'm still sleepy!_

"I see them!" Allison whispered. "I see Rosita and Elena! They're carrying water to the men!" She pointed. "See?" 

Todd nodded. He saw the two girls toting clay jars of water from digger to digger. 

Minutes later, the children saw Felipe raise his right hand and hold his index finger and thumb together. Todd's walkie-talkie was in place. It was time to begin. 

Todd grinned at Allison, and the two muffled their snickers. "Watch this, Allison!" he whispered. 

He switched on the walkie-talkie and made a spooky, wailing sound in it. As he did, the soldiers froze and glanced around nervously. In the distance behind them, Todd saw Zorro moving from rock to rock, getting ever closer to the Indians themselves. 

Todd paused a moment, then wailed again. This time, Allison joined in. 

_"Madre Maria!"_ Sergeant Mendoza's voice sounded far off. "What was that?" 

The children looked at each other and smothered their giggles. Then they wailed some more. 

"The canyon is haunted!" the sergeant cried. "We're in danger!" 

Sergeant Mendoza and the other soldiers unsheathed their swords and stared in the direction of Todd's walkie-talkie. Unable to see the source of the scary noise, they gaped at one another. The children made the spooky wailing sounds again. 

Meanwhile, Zorro reached the Indians. One by one, he unchained them. "How'd he get the key to unlock their chains?" Allison whispered. 

"I heard him tell Felipe, yesterday, that he was going to visit the _cuartel_ and borrow it," Todd whispered back. "He must have done it while we were asleep." 

"He never did get to sleep, then." Allison looked concerned. "Poor Don Diego! I bet he's _real_ sleepy, sleepier than us. Staying up all night looking for us, four nights ago. Then staying up all night again, last night, getting the key to free the Indians!" 

Todd repeated the spooky wailing sound again and again. As he did, the Indians crept away, and so did Zorro. At that moment, Sergeant Mendoza turned around and saw the Indians sneaking off. "The Indians are escaping!" he shouted. "Seize them!" 

Todd felt alarmed. They had to stop Sergeant Mendoza! 

He snatched his Walkman and pressed the _play_ button. He held Allison's walkie-talkie close to it. Zorro's voice, disguised, came from the cassette: "Soldiers, you have disturbed the spirit that guards these Indians. Indeed, he is very angry! Unless you release the mission Indians, he will kill you!" The ghostly voice echoed throughout the canyon. Todd and Allison smothered giggles. 

All but two of the privates panicked and fled the canyon. Sergeant Mendoza, though trembling, stayed with the two remaining lancers. At that moment, Zorro, who had crept onto a boulder above their heads, jumped down in front of them. 

"Yes!" he announced. "The spirit who guards these Indians is _very_ angry! And _I_ am that spirit!" 

"Zorro!" Sergeant Mendoza cried. "Seize him!" he ordered the two lancers. 

Zorro grinned and unsheathed his saber. He swung it upward in a salute, then fought the soldiers. As the children watched from behind the boulders, his saber clanged repeatedly against their rapiers. While Zorro and the soldiers fenced, the last of the mission Indians disappeared from sight. 

Finally, one by one, Zorro's saber sent the rapiers flying out of the soldiers' hands. Zorro held the tip of his sword against Sergeant Mendoza's chest. 

"You give the _alcalde_ this message for me!" Zorro said sternly. "Tell him that if he _ever_ troubles the mission Indians again, for any reason, he's a dead man!" 

" _Si,_ Señor Zorro," Sergeant Mendoza promised. His hands shook. 

Todd suddenly grinned; Allison looked at him questioningly. "Watch this, Allison!" he whispered. 

He unzipped his backpack and removed his popgun. Holding it near the walkie-talkie, he pulled the trigger. _Pop! Pop! Pop!_ resounded from the boulders, startling Zorro and frightening the soldiers. 

Allison muffled her snickers. She snatched her walkie-talkie from Todd and made a high-pitched squeal. The soldiers darted here and there, shaking in evident terror. The children snickered again, and grinned at each other. 

Slowly, cautiously, Todd and Allison stuffed the Walkman, walkie-talkie, and popgun into their backpacks. When they had finished, Todd glanced at the sky. It still looked brassy; a few white clouds floated in the distance. It was time to go. 

A sudden _Yip! Yip! Yip!_ startled the soldiers. Todd hastily unzipped his backpack and peeked inside. To his dismay, the puppy had managed to rub the silk strip off her muzzle and was barking shrilly! 

"Quiet, puppy!" Todd hissed. "You're going to get us in trouble!" He grasped the puppy's muzzle, which the puppy struggled to free. "I said, be quiet!" 

"Sergeant!" one of the soldiers shouted. "I see the _americano_ children! They're hiding in the rocks over there!" 

"Well, seize them!" Sergeant Mendoza shouted. 

As Todd zipped the backpack shut and slung it onto his back, he watched Zorro out of the corner of his eye. Zorro grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it into the soldiers' faces. The soldiers howled and cursed, as they rubbed their eyes. Zorro tripped Sergeant Mendoza. 

"Run, children!" Zorro shouted. "I will divert the lancers! Run and save yourselves!" 

The children scrambled to their feet and fled. As they raced up the canyon toward the other one, Todd felt terrified. He and Allison _had_ to get back to the time cave before the soldiers caught up with them! 

Minutes later, the children darted through the mouth of the first canyon and rushed toward the time cave. As they reached it, they found Felipe standing in front. He handed Todd his walkie-talkie. 

"Thanks, Felipe." Todd stuffed it into his pocket. "Now, run! Go back to Zorro's cave! Hide!" 

Felipe nodded and rushed off. The children dashed into the time cave and hid behind some boulders. Todd prayed that the soldiers would not find them there, or find Zorro's cave. As Todd leaned against the boulder, the ground shook violently, and a blinding flash of light flooded the cave. He grabbed Allison and scrooged his eyes shut. 

A moment later, the earthquake and the flash of light ceased abruptly. Todd opened his eyes, leaned against the cave wall, and looked around. Spots danced before his eyes, and the walls seemed to whirl around him. 

"Come on." After the dizziness left him, Todd rose and helped Allison to her feet. "Let's go." 

He led the way out of the cave. As the children stepped outside, they froze. The fence rimmed the top of the canyon, and the houses and telephone poles stood in back of it. 

Todd felt like shouting. They were back in their own time! 

"We're back in 1998!" Allison squealed. "Look! The fence is back!" 

"Yes!" Todd leaped and flung out his hands. "The smog is back, too! See?" 

Allison looked. Sure enough, it was. The thick gray blanket loomed over the horizon. 

The children raced toward the secret entrance. They found their jackets lying on the same boulder where they had laid them. After the children wriggled into them, Allison stomped on the lever, and the secret door swung open. The children rushed inside, then darted up the tunnel toward Zorro's lab. 

The lab was pitch-black, and the air felt stuffy. "Look!" Todd switched on his flashlight and swung it in an arc. "The cave is dark and empty, and it's got cobwebs. We're back! We're _back_!" He leaped and threw his arms upward. 

The children raced toward the secret door. Todd pressed the secret button on the candleholder, and the door swung open. Todd led the way into the library. 

It was once again a family room. The TV set stood in the corner just as it had before. Todd glanced at the desk calendar that lay on the coffee table. "'June 15, 1998,'" he read out loud. "Hey! That's the same day we went to 1820!" 

"And look at the clock!" Allison pointed at the wall clock. "It says eleven o'clock. It's only been thirty minutes since we went to the secret cave with our backpacks!" Allison hastily reset her Mickey Mouse watch, then held it up to her ear. "It's working!" 

Todd sank into a velvet armchair, weak with relief. "Then we won't have to explain to Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted where we've been. They haven't missed us at all!" Allison nodded. 

Todd unzipped his backpack and removed the puppy. For a moment, he cuddled the wiggling puppy in his lap and grinned at Allison. As he set the puppy on the floor, it raced in circles, chasing its tail. The children laughed as they watched. They then removed the toys the _padre_ had given them and gazed at them. 

"I'll never forget Padre Benitez." Allison held the doll up and straightened its skirt. 

" _I'll_ never forget _any_ of them." Todd gazed at his wooden toy soldier, then tossed his _balero_ above his head and caught it. "I especially liked Don Diego. And Felipe." 

"Me, too." Allison put the doll back in her backpack, then frowned. "Uh, how are we going to explain the puppy?" 

Todd thought a moment. "We'll, uh, tell them someone gave her to us. Some boy." He grinned. "And that'll be the truth!" Allison nodded assent. 

"The mission church we're going to visit--think it'll be the same one Padre Benitez ran?" Allison picked up the puppy. 

"I hope it will be." Todd stuffed his soldier in his backpack. "I bet it is! Uncle Ted said it was two miles east of here, remember? In 1820, so was Los Angeles! If it _is_ the same church, it'll be neat to see if it looks the same. Maybe the man who gives the tour will talk about Padre Benitez." He grinned. "I'm going to have lots of questions if he does." 

"Me, too." Allison cuddled the puppy against her chest. "I'd like to know how Los Angeles got so big." 

"And how the United States took over California." 

Allison sat silently for a few minutes. "It was neat to go to 1820, but I wouldn't want to do it again. I'm never going back to that cave." 

Todd nodded agreement. "Me, neither. We might not be able to get back a second time. You know, Allison, watching _Batman'll_ sure feel different, now!" 

He rose to his feet and approached the fireplace mantel. He picked up the _Batman: The Movie_ video and set it on the VCR, fully intending to watch it later. At that moment, the front door clicked open; Uncle Ted and Aunt Alice stepped into the family room. "Well, children," Uncle Ted said cheerfully, "are you ready?" He froze and stared at the puppy. "Where on earth did that puppy come from?" 

Allison glanced nervously at Todd. 

"A boy gave her to us while you were gone." Todd glanced down at the puppy. "I guess he couldn't keep her, himself. Please, can _we_?" 

Uncle Ted paused to think. Aunt Alice stood quietly and gazed at him. Allison looked at him beseechingly and twisted her necklace. Todd squeezed his hands together till his knuckles turned white. 

At last, Uncle Ted glanced at his wife and chuckled. "If no one claims the puppy, I have no objection. Do you, dear?" Aunt Alice smiled and shook her head. 

Uncle Ted turned serious. "Children, I'll let you keep the puppy on two conditions. That you housebreak the puppy yourselves, and that you make no more complaints about visiting historical sites. Do we have a deal?" The children nodded. 

"Good. Because we're going to visit some more historical sites while you're here, as well as Disneyland, Hollywood, the beach, and those other places. What do you want to name the puppy?" 

Todd and Allison thought a moment. "I have an idea!" Allison cried. "Let's call her 'Amigo'!" 

Uncle Ted chuckled. "Allison, if the puppy's a girl, the correct name would be 'Amiga.' That's what female friends are called in Spanish." 

"And male friends are called _'amigo'_?" Todd asked. 

"That's right." 

"OK. We'll call her Amiga." Todd rubbed the puppy's head; the puppy licked his hand. "Hi, Amiga!" He winked at Allison, who grinned. "In memory of our _amigos_ from 1820," he whispered in Allison's ear. Allison grinned and nodded agreement. 

"Amiga's so cute," Allison said. "She's just six weeks old." 

Uncle Ted glanced at the clock. "All right, kids, let's go. Since the puppy's not housebroken yet, we'll put her in a box until we come back. We'll eat lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant, first. Then we'll go visit the mission. Ready?" 

Todd and Allison nodded and leaped to their feet. After Todd laid down the puppy in a large cardboard box, the children followed their aunt and uncle out the door. Todd and Allison grinned at each other. Todd could hardly wait to see the old mission!   
  
  


**THE END**   
  


©1998 by KathyG


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